Deputy Speaker and Pangasinan Rep. Conrado M. Estrella III on Tuesday, July 6 lauded President Rodrigo Duterte for signing the bill establishing the Eastern Pangasinan Regional Medical and Trauma Center, saying that the hospital will be treasured by the people of the province as one of the best legacies of the Duterte administration.
Duterte has recently signed into law the legislative proposal for the creation of the 300-bed capacity regional hospital in Rosales, which is part of Estrella’s legislative district.
Estrella and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go are the principal authors of the House and Senate bills that were consolidated and approved by Duterte.
Estrella said House Bill 6850 was co-authored by Pangasinan Reps. Tyrone D. Agabas, Arnold Celeste, Christopher V.P. De Venecia and Rose Mary “Baby” J. Arenas.
“The proposed hospital to be built and operated by the Department of Health is our gift to the people of Region I, especially the eastern portion of Pangasinan. President Duterte’s swift approval of the bill only demonstrates how he values public health as a legacy of his administration,” the House official said.
Estrella said people in nearby localities in Tarlac and Nueva Ecija will also benefit and will be given access to the proposed medical facility.
“Immediate and easily accessible medical care is what our people urgently need especially in this time of pandemic. This hospital is an answered prayer to our fervent wishes for Pangasinenses,” he explained.
In his explanatory note of the bill, Estrella said that there is an existing regional medical facility located in Dagupan but this is “largely inaccessible” to those residing in Eastern Pangasinan.
“People have to travel such long distance to reach Dagupan City so as to avail of needed medical services,” the deputy speaker stated.
He also aired misgivings over the fact that Dagupan City is prone to flooding during the rainy season “which makes access to medical services therein even more difficult and sometimes dangerous.”
“Existing district hospitals with their limited bed capacity also to not provide enough of the medical services needed by the people especially for emergency medical care and trauma interventions,” Estrella stressed.