BAGUIO CITY – The city government is strongly supporting the immediate passage of House Bill (HB) No.10451 that seeks to increase the bed capacity of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) from 800 to 1,500 beds and appropriate funds for the said purpose.
The City Council’s Resolution No. 161 series of 2022 acknowledged the relevance of increasing the bed capacity of BGHMC which is one of the major referral hospitals not only in the city but also in Northern Luzon.
It’s because BGHMC offers complete health care services which experts from various fields of the medical profession avail, thereby making BGHMC as their base hospital for their patients.
Republic Act (RA) 11084 which was enacted on July 23, 2018, increased the bed capacity of BGHMC from the previous 500 to 800 beds and provided funds for the said purpose.
RA 11084 was enacted to ensure the full promotion of available health facilities in the city so iot can continue providing general and specialized medical services among its catchment population from Baguio city, Benguet, the Cordillera and the Northern Luzon area.
The councils said that the recent increase in bed capacity has allowed the BGHMC to expand its services and capacitated its manpower to serve as the only Level 3 hospital.
The legislation also made BGHMC as an in-referral hospital situated in the city and catering to patients coming from the rest of Northern Luzon.
In 2021, DOH Department Order No. 2021-0001 designated BGHMC as sub-national center for infectious disease and tropical medicine, orthopedics, renal care and transplant, brain and spine care, cancer care, eye care, lung care, mental health, trauma care and toxicology and regional center for cardiovascular care, bone care, geriatric care, neonatal care, and physical rehabilitation medicine.
To support the implementation of the aforesaid centers and to enable BGHMC to expand its services and accommodate the influx of patients coming from the Cordillera and the neighboring provinces in Northern Luzon, HB 10451 was filed in the House of Representatives.
It was approved on November 23, 2021 during the 17th Congress and transmitted on the same day to the Senate which conducted public hearings on September 7, 2021 and March 22, 2022 with positive results.