Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto led the groundbreaking for the renovation and conversion of the Pasig City Children's Hospital (PCCH) into a general hospital with the goal of providing more medical services to Pasigueños.
The ceremony was held on Wednesday, July 3. Sotto was joined by personnel of the local government, including City Councilor Angelu De Leon, hospital doctors, and staff.
De Leon said the groundbreaking was not only a symbol of the start of the project but also of their hopes and dreams for a more prosperous and healthier community.
She mentioned that for many years, PCCH has been a haven for children and their families, providing tireless and honest medical services.
De Leon said this project marks a new chapter for the city since it will not only expand the scope of medical services but will also build an institution that is ready to provide quality care to all Pasigueños, from children to the elderly.
She added that the project responds to the growing need of Pasigueños for wider and higher-quality medical services.
“Layunin natin na magkaroon ng isang pasilidad na kayang tugunan ang iba't ibang uri ng karamdaman at kondisyon, may kumpletong kagamitan, at pinamumunuan ng mga dedikado at magagaling na mga propesyonal sa larangan ng medisina (We, the city leaders, aim to have a facility that can address a wide variety of illnesses and conditions, fully equipped, and staffed by dedicated and talented medical professionals),” she added.
Sotto stated that the project is a big help for the Pasigueños because its resources and services can be fully provided for them since the budget came from the taxpayers of the city.
“I-expand natin ang services ng ating ospital, gawin natin siyang general hospital at para na rin yung mga resources natin at yung ospital natin eh ang talagang tututukan natin, yung resources natin talagang mapupunta sa mga Pasigueño (Let's expand the services of our hospital by turning it into a general hospital, also so that our resources and our hospital can really focus on providing services to all Pasigueños),” the mayor said.
“Alam naman po natin na kapag specialty hospital po tayo, lalo na kung maganda yung serbisyo gaya ng serbisyong pinapakita ninyo… s'yempre kapag specialty hospital pupuntahan ka rin ng [residente] taga-ibang LGU kapag ‘yan yung needs nila so mahahati pa yung resources natin (We know that when we are a specialty hospital, especially if the service is as good as the service that you are showing, residents from other LGUs will come to us),” Sotto added.
“Yung budget natin nanggagaling sa taxpayers ng Pasig [kaya] dapat gamitin natin unang-una sa lahat para sa mga Pasigueño. Sa pag-convert natin sa isang general hospital, mas matututukan natin at mas maibubuhos po natin ang resources natin para sa taxpayers ng Pasig, para sa mga pasyente ng Pasig na ngayon po ay of all ages na po (Our budget comes from the taxpayers of Pasig, so we should use it first for Pasigueños. By converting in into a general hospital, we will be able to focus more and pour our resources more for the taxpayers and patients of our city, which is now available for all ages),” he stated.
Sotto said that this is a big project with a budget of around P300 million.
The project includes civil and finishing works such as the extension of the emergency room (from four beds to 13 beds plus five beds for treatment and isolation area), pediatric and medical ICU (from nine beds to 13 beds), and 15 beds for neonatal ICU, two new beds for the labor room and two beds for the high-risk pregnancy unit, three new beds for the delivery room, two operating rooms and a recovery room, and a sterilization or autoclave room.
The hospital will also have a blood bank unit, 12 units for hemodialysis, an eighth doctor’s quarter (16 beds on the lower deck), a 12-bed capacity ward extension on the lower deck, a social service section, a storage facility in the basement, a molecular lab, a clinical laboratory, a sterile room, a finance department, admitting counters, an improvement of diagnostic and radiology rooms, three bedrooms, a ward extension, and rehabilitation of all wards, among others.
Rehabilitation works such as painting, replacement of the ceiling, counters for admitting, a nurse station, modular workstations, built-up cabinets, counter windows, and doors (stainless hermetic automatic sliding doors) will also be conducted.
All comfort rooms in the hospital, the basement, ledges, roof deck, and upper decks, and all other leaks will also be repaired.