The Department of Health has advised against the building of the new City Health Office (CHO) next to the Bacolod City General Hospital (BCGH) in Barangay Vista Alegre, Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya said Thursday, June 16.
The bidding for the P200 million Phase 1 of the BCGH project has been completed and work is expected to start in July. It will cover land development and the construction of the dietary, laundry, morgue and other ancillary buildings of the BCGH, Gasataya said.
The bidding for the P250 million hospital building will also be conducted soon, he said.
The P450 million allocated by the national government is only for the BCGH, it does not cover the construction of a new CHO, Gasataya added.
Gasataya said he met with representatives of the DOH, Department of Public Works and Highways and the Gensoli family who are donating the 4-hectare property for the hospital to discuss the scope of work and equipment needed for the hospital on Monday.
The DPWH is expected to present the design of the hospital before the end of the month.
The DOH technical observation is that the CHO and the BCGH should not be built in the same area. He asked the DOH for its recommended options to be presented to mayor-elect Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, Gasataya said.
One option could be to further improve the current CHO in Barangay 20, he said.
The DOH explained that the CHO is for preventive health services while the hospital provides curative services so it would be better for them to be located in separate areas, Gasataya said.
The BCGH will not be affected, its construction at Barangay Vista Alegre will continue as planned, he said.
The Vista Alegre site of the hospital can still be made a medical complex where a dialysis center, molecular laboratory and other ancillary services can be provided, he said.
It will have room for further expansion, he said.*