The artist’s perspective of the new building of the Talisay District Hospital that is now being renamed and upgraded to Cebu South Medical Center. | Contributed Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippine — The Talisay District Hospital (TDH) awaits the upscaling of its facility and manpower compliments as President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law last Friday, June 19, 2020, Republic Act 11473 upgrading and renaming it to Cebu South Medical Center (CSMC).
CSMC will be run by the Department of Health.
RA 11473 mandates the Health Secretary to “immediately include” the upgrading of the hospital in the agency’s programs, “the funding of which shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.”
The Health Secretary, in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management, is also tasked to enforce the rules in relation to the upgrade of the TDH within a period of 90 days.
“The existing service capability, professional health care services, and medical staff complement of the Cebu South Medical Center is hereby upgraded and increased to correspond with the requirements of the medical center,” Section 2 of RA 11473 reads.
Last February 13, the Senate has approved in the committee level the proposed measure introduced by first district Representative Eduardo Gullas seeking to rename and upgrade the hospital into a medical center.
The measure has also gained the support of local legislators as the Cebu Provincial Board, on March 2, 2020, adopted the resolution of First District Board Member Raul Bacaltos supporting the bill.
Bacaltos said that the passage of the Gullas’ bill would mean the “upgrade and increase in its existing service capability, professional health care services, and staffing.” / dcb