THE OB-Gyne and the pediatric wards of Lapu-Lapu City Hospital can now accommodate patients once again.
The newly refurbished wards, along with additional equipment such as 17 hospital beds, 17 cradles and 13 ceiling fans were turned over to the hospital last Tuesday.
The renovation project amounting to P5 million was funded by the Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (AFI) and the Lapu-Lapu City government through a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement. AFI shouldered 70 percent of the total cost, while the city government took care of the remaining 30 percent.
The OB-Gyne ward has now a total of 20 charity beds and six pay ward beds, while the pediatric ward has 20 beds and six Philhealth beds.
“We never closed these wards during the refurbishment, but instead we just placed the patients in the vacant rooms in the hospital,” said hospital chief Dr. Bolivar Miñoza.
Miñoza said the hospital needs additional rooms because of the growing population of the city. “If provided with a budget, we will expand the building upward and not sideways because of limited land area,” he said.
Mayor Paz Radaza she will look into including in the budget the expansion of city hospital for next year so they can accommodate more patients, including those from the nearby Cordova town.
“My administration is focused on the delivery of quality health care service, and in providing quality education to our children. I believe that if we want to win the war on poverty we must focus our attention on health and education,” the lady mayor said.
Radaza said the PPP has enabled the city to provide quality services like health and education. “I am grateful to the Aboitiz Foundation for their support.”
During the turnover ceremony, a memorandum of agreement was also signed between AFI and the city for the construction of a P6 million two-storey six-classroom building for Babag National High School. /CORRESPONDENT NORMAN V. MENDOZA