Bantayan District Hospital now a Level 1 health facility

CEBU, Philippines — The Bantayan District Hospital in the island of Bantayan, northern Cebu has been granted Level One status by the Department of Health.

DOH-7 regional director Dr. Jaime Bernadas signed the License to Operate of BDH as Level One Hospital on April 16.  This means that the said facility can now cater more patients and allowed to perform operations like caesarian sections among others.

The Cebu Provincial Government has made improvements in the facility last year. These include the retrofitting of the main laboratory of the hospital, conversion of a building into a hazard waste storage facility, and repainting works. The provincial government allocated P5.5 million for the improvements.

During the signing of the license to operate, the Capitol and health officials in Cebu have also inaugurated the operating and emergency rooms of the hospital. Governor Gwendolyn Garcia made all efforts to upgrade the said health facility from being an infirmary with only 25 beds to qualify as Level 1 hospital that can accommodate at least 100 beds.

Garcia also approved the request for additional doctors and nurses for the said hospital including additional beds and other equipment.

On April 16, a tripartite agreement was also signed by Garcia, Bernadas, and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center chief of hospital Dr. Gerardo Aquino Jr. for the SUGBUCAS Center in BDH.

Under the said program, DOH-7 and VSMMC will deploy their medical professionals to BDH being the second SIGBUCAS center in the province for provision of ambulatory and urgent care services. The first SUGBUCAS Center in Cebu was launched at the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Carcar. — /FPL (FREEMAN)