GOVERNOR Aris Aumentado sought Department of Health (DOH) support to address the congestion at the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Medical Center in Tagbilaran City, where some patients have reportedly been staying in hallways and the driveway amid the high demand for medical services.
In a shared Facebook post dated September 24, Gov. Aumentado raised the concern during a meeting with DOH Undersecretary Jose Tecson III, Head of the Hospital Systems Cluster, and other DOH officials representing Secretary Edwin Mercado.
Mercado was unable to attend due to a budget hearing in Congress.
The governor proposed exploring the use of the Gov. Celestino Gallares Multi-Specialty Medical Center (GCGMSMC) in Cortes to accommodate appropriate patients from the Tagbilaran facility while the latter faces capacity pressures.
The Cortes facility was designed to provide specialized services and is part of the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Medical Complex (GCGMMC), which operates its Tagbilaran and Cortes facilities as separate institutions with their respective medical center chiefs.
Aumentado said using available capacity in Cortes, where appropriate and subject to coordination between the two facilities, could help decongest the Tagbilaran hospital and allow patients to receive proper medical care.
The governor also said he had brought the situation to the attention of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to seek national government support for addressing the condition of the DOH-managed hospital.
Gov. Aumentado also visited the GCGMMC in Tagbilaran City to assess the current situation.
“Tumong nato nga makakuha og suporta ug tabang gikan sa Nasudnong Pangagamhanan alang sa klaro, tin-aw, ug hustong solusyon sa pag-atubang sa mga panghitabo ug kalisdanan sa atong national hospital nga ubos sa pagdumala sa DOH.”
DOH-7 Regional Director Dr. Joshua Brillantes, Assistant Regional Director Van Philip Baton, and Provincial Administrator Asteria Caberte were also present in a separate meeting.
The province has previously raised concerns about patient congestion at GCGMMC, including the need to strengthen specialist services in district hospitals to reduce referrals to the Tagbilaran facility.
Furthermore, Aumentado emphasized that coordination among the DOH, the two Gallares facilities, and the provincial government will be necessary in developing a workable response to the hospital’s current capacity concerns.
The initiative is aligned with the provincial government’s health and human development priorities under the Strategic Governance Roadmap, including efforts to improve access to responsive healthcare services for all Boholanos across the Bohol Island Geopark. (PIMO/JSS)
