The House committee on Health passes, in the committee level, House Bill No. 4723 seeking to revert the management of the Candijay Community Hospital (CCH) to the Department of Health (DOH). Once reverted to the DOH, the CCH will be able to increase its bed capacity, upgrade its facilities, as well as increase the number of health care personnel working in the said hospital.
The house committee approved the bill on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020, according to House Health committee vice-chairperson and third district solon Kristine Alexie Tutor.
The solon further confirmed the passage of the bill, in the committee level, in a radio interview over dyTR’s Newsmakers ug Uban Pa on Nov. 18, 2020 hosted by The Bohol Tribune’s managing editor Ardy Batoy and Dave Albarado.
The solon said that it is her dream for the third district to have its own DOH managed-hospital.
The bill seeks to let the DOH manage the CCH, which is currently under the management of the provincial government.
Moreover, the bill looks at increasing the hospital’s bed capacity from ten (10) beds to 50 beds, aside from its plan of upgrading CCC’s medical equipment. This also includes the increase in the number of health care personnel working in the said hospital, the solon said in the same radio interview.
With the approval of the bill in the committee level, the measure will be sent to the plenary for second reading.
Rep. Tutor said that for a long time, the CCH has remained as such – a town hospital, unlike other districts that have hospitals that are bigger with better equipment and facilities and with more working personnel. For example, the solon said, the first district of Bohol has the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) in Tagbilaran City with a planned branch in Cortes town, while the second district of Bohol has the Don Emilio del Vallethe Memorial Hospital (DEDVMH) in Ubay town.
Tutor, in the same Interview, said that the CCH, once it becomes a DOH-managed hospital, will have fiscal autonomy as the funds for the hospital’s operation will be downloaded directly from the DOH.
She added that the medical facilities of the said hospital will get an upgrade once it becomes a district hospital under the DOH. The solon said that the CCH has been in existence for 45 years with very slow development and improvement coming in.
Having a district hospital in the third district will provide great convenience to the people living in the said district as far as getting the needed health care is concerned.
The establishment of a district hospital is set to bring great convenience not just to the people of Candiay but to the folks of neighboring towns within the third district, the solon mentioned during the interview.
The solon revealed, too, in the same interview, that she is asking and appealing to the provincial government that she be supported in this bill for the benefit of the people in the third district in particular. A resolution coming from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) expressing support to this bill will be most helpful.
In fact, the solon added, that the SP resolution is important as it would keep going the process of reverting the CCH to the DOH.
The solon is also hopeful that the SP sees merit in the reverting of the said hospital to DOH’s management as it will tremendously benefit the people particularly those living in the third district.
Tutor said that once the CCH’s management is given to the DOH, it will help ease the burden of the provincial government which is the one currently operating the CCH. Furthermore, the solon said that once the CCH will be under the DOH, the provincial government can use the funds erstwhile allocated to the said hospital for other needs.
Once the bill is passed in the House of the Representatives on third and final reading, then it will be off to the Senate.
Tutor said Sen. Sonny Angara expressed willingness to file a similar bill in the Senate.