DOH Eastern Visayas opens four-storey birthing facility

TACLOBAN CITY, Aug. 10 (PNA) -- The Department of Health (DOH) has opened a new four storey Mother and Child Building in a new location as part of the long-term Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) modernization program.

The government constructed the new facility located at the city’s Cabalawan village through a PhpP300 million donation from the Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Inc. This is the first building completed at the new regional hospital site in the northern part of the city.

DOH regional director Minerva Molon has called on the public to maximize the use of this birthing facility, especially those living in Samar Island. The 100-bed capacity hospital with a floor area of 4,715 square meters has formally opened on Monday after 16 months of construction.

“The EVRMC Mother and Child Hospital will be a globally competitive center of excellence in health care delivery that provides highest standards for safe quality care for birthing mothers and healthy newborns and as the leading maternal and newborn care training resource in Region 8 by 2030,” Molon said.

Its outpatient department offers prenatal immunization, preventive care, growth monitoring, program for young parents, family planning, newborn screening, under five clinic, and care for small babies.

In- patient services include normal deliveries, uncomplicated pre-term labor, unang yakap, kangaroo mother care, exclusive breastfeeding, newborn care, human milk bank, and caesarean section.

The hospital also offers ancillary services such as radiology, laboratory, dietetics nutrition, and blood bank.

Part of the EVRMC modernization program is to transfer the entire facility from the city center to a storm surge-safe area in Cabalawan village. The transfer has started this year and will be completed in 2018.

There is an ongoing construction of a new six-storey hospital and ancillary building in a new site. It has a total floor area of 30,000 square meters with 420-bed service wards and 180-bed private rooms.

The modernization program is expected to enhance the quality of services of the medical center, improve health outcomes, and achieve equity in access to healthcare in the region. (PNA)

PGL/SARWELL Q. MENIANO