BATANGAS CITY – Batangueño constituents expressed elation at the scaling up of the government-run Batangas Medical Center's (BatMC) top-of-the-line surgery facilities and medical services that would provide access to patients, not only in the province but in the region, especially among poor patients, as well.
“Ang pagpapatayo ng nasabing gusali ay malaking tulong sa lahat lalo na sa mga mahihirap (the construction of the new (surgery) building is a great help to all constituents especially among the poor),” Batangas Governor Hermilando I. Mandanas assured on Tuesday.
Mandanas vowed that as chairperson of the Calabarzon Regional Development Council, he has proposed to the national government to expand the health and medical services of BatMC through increased capital outlay.
He said this proposed increased allocation in the budget would translate to more medical equipment and level up the health and medical services of the former regional government's 500-bed capacity hospital based here to make this more accessible to indigent patients.
Patients, especially the poor are relieved of the burden of additional expenses of availing medical services offered in Metro Manila hospitals as BatMC could already provide such services here, he added.
The governor, with Dr. Eduardo Janairo, Regional Director of the Department of Health (DOH) Regional Office, DOH Assistant Secretary Maria Francia Laxamana, BatMC Medical Center chief Dr. Ramoncito Magnaye, Medical Professional Staff chief Dr. Maritess Teresita Torio and Provincial Health Office chief Dr. Rosvilinda M. Ozaeta graced the opening rites of BatMC’s new Surgery “B” Building on Aug. 24.
Janairo also said the new surgery center at the Batangas Medical Center (BatMC) will deliver advanced surgical care services in the region comprising Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon, when he and other DOH top officials toured the facilities.
“This surgery center will provide top of the line surgical services not only to the people of Batangas but to nearby southern provinces and can accommodate more patients needing surgical operations,” Janairo said.
According to Janairo, the BatMC Surgery center offers six spacious operating suites and provides the technology needed to perform a wide variety of surgeries, including general surgery; and features modern equipment known as boom technology and digital imaging displays.
“It offers a wide range of surgical procedures, from outpatient surgeries to more complex surgical cases requiring hospitalization. Patients need not go specialty hospitals in Manila because all the available surgical services will be readily available for them here,” he added.
Besides the top-of-the-line facilities of the new Surgery “B” building with Operating Room Complex amounting to some PHP 155.9 million fund - through the DOH-Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP), the six old operating rooms are also slated for renovation.
“It is important for hospitals to evolve, expand its facilities, and provide new technologies to meet the needs of the people and bring the best possible health care to them. Quality care, safety and patient satisfaction must always be underlined,” Janairo assured.
BatMC, now an ISO 9001-2015 certified facility, has since scaled up with the completion of its out-patient department (OPD) – Psychiatry Building in 2017 including the MRI Building with a 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Machine that is used to produce detailed pictures of the body's organs and structures. (PNA)
