THE SOUTHERN Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) chief hoped their request to increase the bed capacity at the state hospital would be approved to cater to more poor patients.
During the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Dec. 16, SPMC chief Dr. Ricardo Audan said there is a need to expand the bed capacity of the government-owned hospital as the number of patients surpasses capacity.
At present, the hospital’s bed capacity is 1,500, hardly enough to serve the number of patients they serve, which could reach as many as 2,000 at a time. As a result, they had to place beds on the hallways to accommodate the extra bodies.
“It’s very congested, lalo na sa emergency rooms. Imagine, the SPMC is the only government hospital in Davao City, next is the DRMC in Tagum,” Audan said.
SPMC is the largest hospital in the country under the Department of Health (DOH), surpassing the Philippine General Hospital.
Audan is positive the proposal will be pushed if politicians will rally behind the legislators, as the process could take three or more years.
To note, the proposal was deliberated in a committee on health hearing of the House of Representatives in March earlier this year. Audan reported the bill has been already approved by the lower committee.
On Nov. 9, 2024, Senator Christopher Lawrence Go led the inauguration of the P151.6 million five-story “Pahulayan” facility. The building can accommodate up to 140, prioritizing watchers of patients who are from outside Davao City.
