Senator Cynthia Villar continues to enhance the capabilities and responsiveness of Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center (LPGH & STC) in dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
She recently turned over five units of hospital equipment to LPGH & STC, received by Dr. Rodrigo Hao, Medical Director. These include a passbox, biological freezer, biological refrigerator, autoclave sterilizer and ventilator.
“Now, more than ever, it is crucial for our local hospitals to have the necessary equipment and facilities to cope with COVID-19 cases on top of their regular patients. The ongoing pandemic is putting so much pressure on hospitals and frontliners, we need to support and equip them,” said Villar, who has been supporting her home city’s hospital since she was a congresswoman.
She authored Republic Act 9240 in 2004 that converted the then Las Piñas District Hospital into LPGH & STC and increased the hospital’s bed capacity from 50 to the present 200.
Villar recently filed Senate Bill No. 143 to increase in the bed capacity of LGPH & STC from the present 200 to 500 beds and upgrade its service facilities and professional healthcare services. The proposed bill has been approved in the Senate.
A counterpart measure at the House of Representative, authored by Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar, was passed last March 2.
The senator has earmarked P500 million this year to fund the expansion of LPGH & STC. The construction of the additional eight-storey building is slated to be finished next year.
Last year, Villar also channelled P144 million to the city to purchase the land and start the hospital building’s construction.
The expansion of LGPH & STC will provide separate facilities for COVID-19 and non-COVID patients to avoid the spread of the virus, one building each, the senator said.
“That would also ensure that regular healthcare services are not disrupted,” the senator added.
LPGH & STC is a Department of Health-operated hospital that serves the National Capital Region (NCR) and neighboring provinces.
“There is an urgent need to expand and upgrade public hospitals and health facilities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that has increased the number of patients needing hospitalization. We have to be prepared,” she said.
The country has about 456 hospitals with a total bed capacity of 67,119. Approximately 41% of these beds are in government-owned hospitals while the remaining are in private hospitals.