Baguio Rep. Marques Go today announced that the Baguio General Hospital will be able to treat more patients after the House Committee on Health approved House Bill 8782 that seeks to increase the hospital’s bed capacity from 800 to 1,500.
On his Facebook page today, the second term congressman announced: “Good News! HB 8782 which increases the Bed Capacity of Baguio General Hospital and Medical Hospital from 800 to 1,500 was approved in the House Committee on Health today!”
Go is hopeful that with the passage of the bill, “BGHMC will be able to deliver higher quality and more accessible health care to everyone in need.
He said that not only Baguio or Cordillera residents will be able to avail of the benefit from this advancement in public health but also those coming from other areas in Northern Luzon.
He said: “This has been an ongoing process which started in 2018 when Rep. Mark Go’s filed HB 5442 “Increasing the Bed Capacity of BGHMC from 500 to 800” was enacted into law by virtue of Republic Act 11084.”
In filing HB 8782, Go took the initiative to further increase the hospital’s bed capacity so it could accommodate more patients.
He further said: “The upgrade will increase the existing workforce and it is envisioned that within the next 4 years, BGHMC will be implementing in full, 15 specialty programs,…
Among these programs are: cardiovascular care; renal care and transplant; lung care; brain and spine care; orthopedic center; cancer care; nfectious disease and tropical medicine; and, mental health, among others.
In 2018, Go pushed for the passage of HB 5442 that increased the hospital’s bed capacity from 500 to 800 and was enacted through RA 11084.
Go, however, did not stop from there and sought to increase further the bed capacity of northern Luzon’s primary hospital for “continuous increase in the volume of patients seeking medical treatment.”
Go noted that BGHMC continues to operate way above the hospital’s authorized bed capacity with more patients coming in for health needs.
He said: “To be able to respond adequately to the health needs of the public taking into consideration the current public health crisis, there is an urgent need to further expand the bed capacity of the hospital especially that BGHMC holds a unique and vital role as a primary hospital in the Cordillera and Northern Luzon.”
Because of this, Go filed HB 8782 last February 20 to further Increase the bed capacity of BGHMC.
Go said that BGHMC’s expansion, service facilities and professional health care will be upgraded with an increase in the existing workforce; and, this will assess the long waiting list of 50 to 100 patients daily.
He added: “The upgrade will also serve as a pivotal move to develop capacity building of the BGHMC to serve as example of a health facility for preparedness and responsiveness in the advent of another public health crisis.”
He said: “Filipinos from Regions I, II, and CAR would no longer have to travel all the way to Metro Manila to avail of these specialty services.”
