Gov. Pineda, BM David-Dizon and provincial doctors break ground for the P8-million projects to improve the Romana Pangan district hospital in Floridablanca town. Earlier, Pineda inaugurated the P4.9-million new building in the same hospital. Photo by Ric Gonzales.
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The provincial government is negotiating with private firms for the early completion of the P72-million diagnostic center at the Diosdado P. Macapagal Memorial Hospital (DPMMH) in Guagua town.
This, according DPMMH chief Dr. Eddie Ponio who joined Gov. Lilia Pineda in inspecting the two-storey center at the DPMMH on Thursday. They were accompanied by Board Members Salvador Dimson and Olga Frances “Fritzie” David-Dizon and Guagua Councilor Tonton Torres.
“It will be one of the best when completed and at par with the same centers in private hospitals. We must make patients, especially the poor ones, comfortable in our hospitals and see for themselves that our diagnosis are accurate. We are working for the immediate completion of the project,” said Pineda in the dialect.
Ponio said the center was recently completed and some P11 million had been used by Pineda for the project.
It was part of the P25 million used to improve the facilities at the DPMMH, the provincial hospital of the province, which now has a bed capacity of 100 patients.
Ponio disclosed that at least P60 million in equipment will be needed for the center such as computed tomography (CT) scan, X-Ray machines and 2-D echo. He added that Pineda is in talks with private medical companies for partnership to complete the center in “three to six months.”
Ponio said Pineda had pushed for the establishment of the center that will reduce the average cost of diagnosis from “30 to 50 pecent” compared to that in private hospitals.
Ponio said the diagnostic center will be the first among the 11 provincial government-run hospitals.
He added that they expect more patients from all 18 towns and three cities in Pampanga when the project is completed.
Ponio said they have at least 100 out-patients daily and their beds are always full.
