Senator Bong Go filed Senate Bill No. 2324 which seeks to upgrade the Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital in Barangay Lanot, Roxas City, into a Level III general hospital to be known as the Capiz Medical Center.
The proposed measure would place the hospital under the direct supervision and control of the Department of Health, while providing for the expansion of its medical services, facilities, workforce, and future bed capacity to address the growing healthcare needs of patients in Capiz and neighboring localities.
“Sa Capiz at mga karatig na lugar, kailangan ng mga pasyente ng mas malapit na access sa mas kumpleto at specialized na serbisyong medikal. Layunin ng panukalang ito na palakasin ang ospital para mas marami itong matulungan,” Go said.
The Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital, located at Capitol Hills in Barangay Lanot, is currently a licensed Level II general hospital and serves as the province’s primary government medical facility.
According to the bill’s explanatory note, the hospital has faced growing demand for specialized medical services, advanced diagnostic capabilities, and expanded healthcare facilities due to the increasing population and evolving healthcare requirements within its service area.
The veteran legislator said upgrading the hospital to Level III status would allow it to develop a wider range of comprehensive and specialized services while improving the quality of patient care available to residents.
“Kapag may sakit ang isang Pilipino, hindi dapat dagdag na problema ang kakulangan ng pasilidad, kagamitan, o health personnel.”
“Kapag may sakit ang isang Pilipino, hindi dapat dagdag na problema ang kakulangan ng pasilidad, kagamitan, o health personnel. Dapat patuloy nating palakasin ang mga pampublikong ospital para mas maayos at mas mabilis ang serbisyong matatanggap ng mga pasyente,” the seasoned lawmaker explained.
Under SBN 2324, the hospital would be renamed the Capiz Medical Center and transferred under the direct supervision and control of the DOH. The proposed arrangement is intended to strengthen the institution’s capacity to deliver public health services in Capiz and across the Western Visayas region.
The measure also provides that any future increase in the medical center’s bed capacity must be consistent with a hospital development plan to be prepared by the DOH.
Its professional healthcare services and facilities would likewise be upgraded to correspond with any increase in bed capacity. These provisions seek to ensure that physical expansion is accompanied by adequate clinical services, equipment, and operational support.
The bill requires a corresponding increase in the hospital’s existing workforce, including doctors, nurses, and support personnel. The Secretary of Health, in consultation with the medical center chief, would determine the additional positions required for the hospital’s operations, subject to applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
SBN 2324 also directs the DOH, in coordination with the Provincial Government of Capiz, to formulate a transition plan for the renationalization of the medical center within 180 days from the law’s effectivity.
The bill states that the transition period for renationalization would commence immediately upon approval of the proposed law. This process is intended to guide the transfer of administrative and operational responsibilities to the national health department while maintaining continuity in hospital services.
“Sa anumang pagbabago sa pamamahala ng ospital, dapat siguraduhin na tuloy-tuloy ang serbisyo. Hindi dapat mahirapan ang mga pasyente habang isinasagawa ang transition,” the senator said.
The proposed law further directs the Secretary of Health to immediately include its implementation in the department’s programs. Funding for the measure would be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
He said the measure recognizes that strengthening a public hospital requires sustained resources for personnel, facilities, equipment, medicine, diagnostic services, and hospital operations.
“Ang layunin natin ay magkaroon ang mga taga-Capiz ng pampublikong ospital na kayang tumugon sa mas komplikadong medical needs. Kailangan itong suportahan ng sapat na pondo para maging maayos ang pagpapatupad,” Go said.
The bill’s explanatory note cites the constitutional responsibility of the State to protect and promote the people’s right to health and to make essential health and social services accessible at an affordable cost.
It states that these policies require the government to continue strengthening the healthcare system and ensuring that Filipinos have access to quality, accessible, and responsive medical care.
Go, who has consistently pushed for measures upgrading and establishing public hospitals, said improving provincial medical facilities can help patients obtain more advanced care closer to their homes.
He noted that patients from provinces often have to travel to larger cities when specialized services, diagnostic equipment, or adequately staffed facilities are unavailable in their locality.
“Hangga’t maaari, ilapit natin ang serbisyong medikal sa mga tao.”
“Hangga’t maaari, ilapit natin ang serbisyong medikal sa mga tao. Hindi dapat kailangang bumiyahe nang malayo ang isang pasyente para lamang makakuha ng serbisyong dapat available sa kanilang rehiyon,” Go stressed.
He added that upgrading Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital into the Capiz Medical Center would strengthen the local healthcare referral system by allowing the facility to manage a broader range of medical cases.
“Buhay at kalusugan ang nakataya sa bawat ospital. Kaya patuloy nating susuportahan ang mga panukalang magpapalakas sa ating public healthcare system at maglalapit ng dekalidad na serbisyo sa mga Pilipino,” Go said.
He then called for the measure’s approval, emphasizing that public hospitals must be strengthened alongside the changing needs of their communities.
“Patuloy po nating sisikapin na mapabuti ang serbisyo sa mga pampublikong ospital. Ang importante ay may malalapitan ang ating mga kababayan kapag kailangan nila ng tulong medikal,” Go concluded.
