Marcos admin identifying more areas for specialty hospitals

SAN JOSE DEL MONTE, Bulacan —President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Wednesday that the government is identifying areas where specialty hospitals would be established.

In an ambush interview, Marcos said specialty hospitals should not just be located in Metro Manila but also in provinces.

"So sabi ko, dapat mayroon hindi lang sa Maynila. Ang napagkasunduan namin, ay imbes na magtayo ng bago pang ospital ay mag-extension na lang ‘yung mga ibang ospital para mayroong specialty na ilang kama para talaga as a specialty hospital," Marcos said.

(I said this should not exist only in Manila. Instead of creating new hospitals, there should be extension hospitals that have specialties or those called as specialty hospitals.)

"So ‘yun ang plano natin. And we are now identifying kung saan ‘yung areas. Tinitingnan natin kung ano ‘yung naging karanasan natin noong pandemic, saan sila nahirapan at saan sila malayo masyado ‘yung pasyente kailangang dalhin at doon natin ilalagay, doon sa mga lugar na ‘yun," he added.

(That's our plan. We are already identifying the areas. We are assessing our experiences this pandemic, where the people experienced difficulties, and those areas where people are far from the hospitals.)

Marcos said specialty hospitals should be established in areas needing improvement in their local healthcare system.

On Wednesday, Marcos graced the groundbreaking ceremony of the St. Bernadette Children and Maternity Hospital in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

"The hospital that we just inaugurated is also a specialty hospital because it is really for women and children. So another one of the biggest conditions that we have to deal with is pregnancy," he said.

During his first State of the Nation Address, Marcos emphasized the importance of specialty hospitals like the Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Lung Center, National Children’s Hospital, and National Kidney and Transplant Institute, especially amid the pandemic.—LDF, GMA Integrated News