GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The provincial government of South Cotabato has opened four more wards at the provincial hospital in Koronadal City as it moves to ease overcrowding problems at the facility.
Dr. Rogelio Aturdido Jr., South Cotabato Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) chief, said Monday the additional wards were situated at the provincial hospital’s new expansion wing.
He said the new wards are equipped with 50 additional beds but could be expanded to accommodate 80 to 100 patients.
“This is part of our continuing efforts to address the perennial shortage of available beds and improve the services in our hospital,” he said.
Aturdido said the new wards allow the provincial hospital to offer more rooms for patients, which is a major problem at its main building.
Prior to the opening of the new wards, the provincial hospital had a total capacity of 200 beds but its daily occupancy rate reaches as high as 170 percent.
Earlier this month, the Department of Health turned over to the local government the newly-completed three-level expansion building of the provincial hospital.
It was constructed through a P70 million grant from the agency’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program.
Aside from the four additional wards, which started to accommodate patients last Saturday, Aturdido said the new building will host key facilities of the provincial hospital.
These include the Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or HIV/AIDS Core Team Clinic and the Women and Children Protection Unit, he said.
He said the expansion wing will also host the provincial hospital’s ultrasound and computed tomography or CT scan units.
“We’ve been continually improving our service delivery systems to ensure the provision of quality health care to our patients,” he said.
Aside from the provincial hospital, the local government manages the operations of the municipal hospitals in Polomolok and Norala towns and the Upper Valley Community Hospital in Surallah. (AC/PNA)
