NEW FACILITY. Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson (right) and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II announced the proposed establishment of an infectious diseases facility at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City during a press conference at the Capitol Social Hall on Tuesday (June 2, 2020). The provincial government has allotted PHP100 million of its PHP155 million “Bayanihan” grant for the project. (PNA photo by Nanette L. Guadalquiver)
BACOLOD CITY – The Negros Occidental provincial government has allotted PHP100 million for the construction of an infectious disease facility at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the budget will come from the PHP155 million “Bayanihan” grant released by the national government to the province.
“We received something like PHP155 million. The PHP100 million is earmarked for the TLJPH. We will expand the building there,” Lacson said in a press conference held at the Capitol Social Hall on Tuesday.
The governor said the facility will be designed in a way that it can be isolated from the main hospital to cater to patients of infectious diseases.
“If another pandemic occurs, we can close a certain part of the hospital that will only cater to whatever virus that we will be facing by that time,” he added.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said the infectious diseases section will have a separate operating room, emergency room, and delivery room.
“We cannot mix (infected) people with our regular patients. At the same time, we cannot set aside our regular patients. To separate them, we devised a plan, with the governor’s approval, to put up an infectious diseases building,” he added.
Diaz did not yet provide the timetable for the establishment of the proposed facility.
The TLJPH is also hosting a molecular laboratory for Covid-19 testing, which is set to fully operate soon.
Negros Occidental received the one-time “Bayanihan” financial aid given as a grant to the local government units (LGUs) to be used exclusively for projects, programs, and activities concerning the Covid-19 pandemic.
These include procurement of personal protective equipment for front line service providers; medicines and vitamins; hospital equipment and supplies; disinfectants and related equipment; relief goods for low-income and vulnerable households; and tents for temporary shelter of the homeless, among others.
The additional funds came from the PHP30.824 billion worth of infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways for 2020 that will be discontinued. (PNA)
