Bacolod City – Health Undersecretary Mary Ann Maestral is pushing for the establishment of a mental facility in Negros Occidental.
Since the Department of Health has the money and capacity to build such a facility, Maestral said they need land for the mental hospital to be established.
During a courtesy call by the Negros Island Region DOH staff on Tuesday, Maestral said that Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson assured them that he will look for the land.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Girlie Pinongan earlier said that the Negros Occidental provincial government is exploring the possibility of creating its own mental health facility, also raised by La Carlota City Mayor Rex Jalando-on, who is a medical doctor.
Pinongan said mental health is also a concern for almost all local government units (LGUs) in the country.
On the other hand, Maestral said they wanted to know the expectations of Gov. Lacson on the establishment of a DOH regional office in NIR.
Maestral further said that the governor wants equipment for the public hospitals being managed by the provincial government of Negros Occidental, a request that is now being processed.
As stipulated in the provisions of RA 12000, known as the NIR Act, the DOH regional office will be established in Negros Oriental.
Maestral said she thanked Gov. Lacson for giving office space at the Negros Residences, which may also use as a satellite office for DOH in the NIR.
In a meeting with Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, Maestral said the DOH secretary envisions having a hospital in every province. In the case of Negros Occidental, there is a plan to further improve the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.
There is also a plan to further improve the public hospital in Dumaguete City, and to open health facilities in strategic areas of NIR that are far from hospitals. (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star)