DUMAGUETE CITY — FAMILIES in Negros Oriental and nearby provinces may soon have access to more specialized medical services closer to home as a proposed law seeks to transform the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH) into a 500-bed regional specialty service hospital under the Department of Health (DOH).
House Bill No. 7608, authored by Negros Oriental 2nd District Rep. Ma. Isabel “Maisa” L. Sagarbarria, proposes to renationalize NOPH, double its authorized bed capacity from 250 to 500, and upgrade its facilities, equipment and medical services as the Negros Oriental Regional Hospital.
The measure is expected to benefit patients who currently travel to Cebu or Metro Manila for complex medical treatment, while also strengthening Negros Oriental’s role as a referral center for the newly established Negros Island Region.
Sagarbarria said the proposed upgrade is necessary as the existing provincial hospital continues to face growing demand for medical services.
“Definitely, we need to upgrade it. Because you already know the situation in our provincial hospital,” she said.
Under HB 7608, the DOH would oversee the incremental expansion and upgrading of the hospital’s infrastructure, medical equipment, facilities and manpower based on a DOH-approved Hospital Development Plan.
The expanded facility would serve not only residents of Negros Oriental but also patients from Negros Occidental and Siquijor, making it a major referral hospital in the Negros Island Region.
17 SPECIALTY SERVICES
Dumaguete City Mayor Manuel “Chiquiting” T. Sagarbarria said the proposed DOH takeover could pave the way for as many as 17 specialty medical services, including heart and kidney care.
He said the upgraded hospital could eventually perform highly specialized procedures such as open-heart surgery and kidney transplantation, eliminating the need for patients to travel to Manila.
“We will have 17 different types of specialty care sa atong mga constituents sa Dumaguete. Imagine if naa atong open heart surgery diri, dili naka muadtog Manila. It will be done here,” the mayor said.
He added that kidney transplants could also eventually be performed in Dumaguete.
PROVINCE MAY SAVE P1B
The proposed nationalization would also shift the hospital’s financial burden from the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental to the national government.
Mayor Sagarbarria estimated that national government support could reach at least P1 billion annually once the conversion is fully implemented.
“So, in other words, the province automatically saves a billion pesos a year,” he said.
The savings could allow the provincial government to redirect funds to other programs and services.
Under the bill, funding for the initial implementation would come from the DOH’s existing budget, while succeeding requirements would be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).
The hospital would likewise gain access to national government resources for additional buildings, modern medical equipment, upgraded facilities and additional health personnel.
BILL HEARD IN DUMAGUETE
HB 7608 was among the measures discussed during the Visayas leg of LegisHear held at Negros Oriental State University (NORSU), where residents and stakeholders were given the opportunity to air their views on proposed legislation.
The Dumaguete consultation marked the first Visayas stop of LegisHear, the nationwide public consultation initiative of the House of Representatives under Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III.
The program aims to bring the legislative process closer to communities and ensure that proposed laws address actual conditions and needs on the ground.
HB 7608 was presented during the consultation by DOH Negros Island Region Regional Director Dr. Razel Nikka Hao.
Also discussed was House Bill No. 9305, or the KALINGA Act.
If enacted, the hospital modernization proposal would give Negros Oriental a larger and more specialized public hospital capable of handling more patients and complex cases—potentially allowing families to seek critical medical care without leaving the island.
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