GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/08 February) — The national government has approved an initial grant of P35 million to the city government to assist the development of a modern community hospital in an industrial village here.
City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio said Friday the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is now working on the release of such grant to jumpstart the construction of the initial phase of the proposed community hospital, which will be built in Barangay Calumpang here.
She said the facility, which will be named Calumpang Community Hospital, will be constructed in a 1.4-hectare lot within the sprawling Antonio Cahilsot Acharon Sports Complex in Barangay Calumpang.
The proposed 75-bed capacity hospital was designed as a four-storey structure that will have a floor area of 1,250 square meters, she said.
The mayor said the development of the facility, which is supported by the Department of Health, will be progressive or in phased basis, and its capacity may be expanded later on to cater to the city’s growing population.
She said the local government initially pegged the project’s total development cost at P120 million.
“The initial phase is due for completion in six months,” said Custodio, citing details of the project’s development plan.
The mayor said they are targeting to open the ground floor of the new hospital before yearend to help decongest the city’s main hospital in Barangay Lagao.
“It will mainly cater to the health care needs of our residents coming from this part of the city,” she said.
Custodio was referring to the western section of the city that covers Barangays Tambler, Fatima, San Jose, Bawing, Sinawal and Calumpang, which hosts several tuna fishing companies and canning plants.
Last week, the city government initially launched the construction of its planned hemodialysis center as part of the ongoing expansion and upgrading of the General Santos City Hospital’s facilities and services.
The city hospital, which was adopted by the local government as an economic enterprise, has been undergoing major improvements in the last two years through a grant from the DOH’s health facilities enhancement program.
Earlier this year, the city government opened the hospital’s newly-completed emergency room and outpatient department building.
It also unveiled the city hospital’s information systems as part of the local government’s enhanced computerization program. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)