The pristine waters of Siargao are where most surfing events are held. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Siargao, the teardrop-shaped island located southeast of Tacloban, boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world that earned the moniker “Bali of the Philippines.”
But the one knock on the island has always been the absence of a complete medical facility.
Anyone caught with a medical emergency, local or tourist, would have to undergo the inconvenience of being transported outside of Siargao just to get proper medical attention.
But the world-famous tourist destination may kiss those troubles goodbye.
Through years of a concerted effort between members of the local government under the leadership of Congressman Bingo Matugas, the previously called Siargao District Hospital has been elevated into the Siargao Island Medical Center (SIMC).
Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep. Bingo Matugas. FILE PHOTO
The Siargao District Hospital, which was basically just an infirmary, only had a 50-bed capacity with three doctors, two medtechs and one pharmacist.
On the other hand, the newly enhanced SIMC, which was injected with a sizeable P380-million budget from the national government, will be a Level 2 medical facility capable of housing up to 100 beds, with consulting specialists in medicine, pediatrics, OB-gyne, surgery, emergency and outpatient services, isolation and surgical facilities, departmentalized clinical services, respiratory units, general intensive care units, high-risk pregnancy units, NICU, and a dental clinic.
Its ancillary services have also been upgraded from a Secondary Clinical Laboratory to a Tertiary Clinical Laboratory and from a First-Level X-ray to a Second-Level X-Ray capacity, with enhancements to its blood station and pharmacy as well.
The Siargao Island Medical Center
Inquirer reached out to Dr. Chloe Digal for comment, in which she said: “We owe a lot to the commitment of Senator Bong Go, who made certain this project would be seen to its finality.”
“But this is also a testament to the care and grit of Siargao Rep. Matugas, who consistently lobbied for this project until then-President Rodrigo Duterte signed the SIMC bill into law in 2020,” Digal added.
Digal said that the congressman’s father, former Governor Atty. Lalo Matugas, was equally critical to the project’s success. Lalo Matugas — as well as Department of Health Regional Director Dr. Cesar Cassion, whose teams worked to ensure a seamless transition from the Provincial Government to the DOH.
The work included donating the land and all assets from the province to the DOH and the transition of hospital personnel.
Based on recent data from the Department of Tourism, Siargao saw its domestic and international tourism rates spike by a whopping 523.96 percent in 2022. Moreover, that number is expected to rise further in 2023. Hence the need to upgrade the medical facilities on the island.
The groundbreaking ceremony of the Siargao Island Medical Center is scheduled for this Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023.
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