The major improvement at the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) will proceed as planned and a part of what Gov. Edgar Chatto calls the grand process to a “new paradigm”– in Bohol public health.
The Department of Health (DOH) is pursuing the project intended to quickly address the patient over-congestion problem prevailing at the biggest hospital in the province, Chatto said.
This was announced by DOH Sec. Paulyn Jean Rosell Ubial as the project contract has already been awarded.
Reinforcing the effort is the determination of Rep. Rene Relampagos to ultimately pass his bill upgrading the GCGMH, most essentially the need to double its existing capacity to over 500 beds.
The upgrading of the GCGMH, which is nationally funded and supervised by the DOH, to a  higher category requires a legislative act.
“It is just a matter of course,†said the senior Boholano member of the House of Representatives who is “optimistic to succeed†in his measure.
The concerted effort of the local leaders is  vital to the Boholano health and life, Relampagos said.
BOLDER PLAN FOR PRESIDENT’S NOD
All these while the complete modernization of the GCGMH is among the well-funded infrastructure projects in the country now up for approval of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.
A much bolder plan, the proposed construction of an entirely new GCGMH complex in Cortes has a relocation site already donated by the province to the DOH.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CabCom) recently pushed the GCGMH modernization among the 10 projects for the president’s green light.
The projects include one more for Bohol which is the change in scope of the Panglao airport, which construction is on-going, for a bigger accommodation capacity in the future.
This is in anticipation of the economic and development upsurge once the Panglao airport is operational.
The ICC consists of the finance secretary as chairman; NEDA director-general, co-chairman; and executive secretary, secretaries of agriculture, trade and industry, and budget and management, and Central Bank governor as members.
Boholano NEDA Secretary-General Ernesto Pernia said the projects are a “good start towards the government’s goal of improving government investments in infrastructure, especially in transportation and health, and agribusiness.”
The 10 projects include other airports, railway, bus rapid transit, and partnership for agricultural competitiveness, among others.
Since the GCGMH is a national government hospital, the construction of an entirely new, bigger modern facility on a relocation site in Cortes is a matter for national government to decide.
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But Pernia reiterated the NEDA-ICC approval and endorsement of the project to the ultimate approval of the NEDA Board, which is headed by the president himself.
The provincial government already donated a five-hectare land to the DOH for the new GCGMH.
Meantime, the necessary essential improvement at the existing GCGMH is to pursue as planned by the DOH to address not just patient overcrowding but other pressing concerns.
During the governor’s regular press forum two Fridays ago, GCGMH chief Dr. Juanito Arcay was hopeful of the upgrading to proceed even if he also hinted about his near retirement.
PROVINCE UPGRADESÂ OWN HOSPITALS
 As the unified effort for the upgrading of the existing GCGMH and the construction of an entirely new one gets firmer, Chatto has aggressively pursued the modernization of the hospitals run and managed by the provincial government itself.
Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez, capitol’s executive assistant on hospital modernization and health services, cited the Chatto administration’s strong commitment to upgrade the existing categories of these hospitals and quality of their services.
The provincial government finances and manages 10 hospitals spread out in Maribojoc, Loon, Clarin, Inabanga, Talibon, island-town of Pres. Garcia, Candijay, Jagna, Carmen and Catigbian.
Just a part of the upgrading is the decentralization of the dialysis centers at Tagbilaran City-based hospitals by establishing dialysis units at the Talibon, Jagna and Carmen hospitals. (Ven rebo Arigo)