Chaco unveils massive infra plan
Gov. Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria has unveiled plans to construct a new Capitol building, and a medical facility that will house state-of-the-art equipment run by qualified staff.
In his press conference last Wednesday, Governor Chaco said negotiations are now being conducted with two government banks who will finance the construction at a total cost of P5.85 billion.
The new Capitol building, to be built at a cost of P1.5 billion, will be constructed where the Praxevilla Tennis Courts are located, behind the current Capitol.
The tennis courts will be transferred near the Provincial GSO at the Perdices Stadium.
Meanwhile, the area where Sidkalan Village and the Department of Agriculture building are located will be turned into a new eight-storey annex of the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital.
“This will be more than a tertiary hospital; this will be an apex hospital,” Governor Chaco said.
An apex or end-referral hospital is a tertiary hospital accredited with the Department of Health that provides “specific departmentalized specialty services” not available in lower level facilities.
“I want this hospital to be as good as the V. Sotto [Memorial Medical Center] in Cebu or the Philippine Heart Center,” Sagarbarria added.
He said he envisions this P3.5-billion hospital to be able to perform delicate procedures such as a heart bypass, which will save the patients a lot of money as they will no longer have to go to Cebu or Manila for treatment.
To supplement the new Hospital annex, the Governor said the provincial government will also pump in P300 million to rehabilitate the three District hospitals in Bais, Guihulngan, and Bayawan, so that patients needing minor treatment no longer have to be brought all the way to Dumaguete City.
The plan for the NOPH annex calls for making the ground floor of the building into a commercial area that can be leased to related/allied businesses to generate funds for the Province.
Health is one of the major priorities of Governor Chaco’s administration. He said this was his promise to the late Gov. Guido Reyes who lamented the sorry state of the NOPH when he needed to be treated of his ailment last year. (AP)
_____________________
Photo Caption: Gov. Chaco Sagarbarria unveils his infrastructure programs, to include a new capitol building at the Praxevilla Tennis Courts and a new medical facility to be built at the Sidlakan Village. (Photo by Alex Pal)
