Marilou A. Trani Paglas, hospital administrator, said they have scheduled the inauguration on January 14 with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as guest of honor
Paglas said, however, that they hoped the medical center would be operational within the first quarter of the year.
The transfer, she said, from the Bukidnon Provincial Hospital's present site in the capitol grounds to the BMC site along the highway in Casisang village was already scheduled.
She said while the P125-million BMC structure is complete, they are still waiting for more equipment to arrive.
She said they have scheduled a medical-surgical mission at the BMC on January 16 to 19 sponsored by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri.
Health Sec. Francisco T. Duque III and PhilHealth Regional Vice President Datu Masiding M. Alonto Jr. are also expected to arrive to join local and provincial officials, Paglas said.
The inauguration of the project has been scheduled in the past, but it has been delayed due to the late arrival of equipment some of them ordered from abroad, provincial officials told reporters earlier.
Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri Jr. had hoped to make the medical center the focal point of health care in the province under his administration's thrust for health services.
Zubiri announced in March 2008 that the facilities and equipment for the Bukidnon Medical Center are already "on the way".
Board member Roland Deticio, who chairs the provincial board's committee on health, cited in a text message that the facilities and equipment of the new medical center are complete and just waiting for "final arrangements".
In its 2009 budget, the provincial government allotted P273.5 million of the proposed budget for economic enterprise to provincial hospitals in Malaybalay City and in the towns of Kalilangan, Kibawe, Malitbog, Maramag, Manolo Fortich, San Fernando, and Talakag.
But funding for the proposed P404.9-million 2009 budget for economic enterprise will be taken from hospital fees at P252.8 million.
Hospital services are lumped in the Bukidnon budget as part of economic enterprise.
Earlier, provincial board members told this reporter the opening rites would be held on January 8 timed with President Arroyo's working tour in Northern Mindanao starting this week.
But the President's itinerary, according to the Office of the Press Secretary, included only a meeting with the press from Northern and Western Mindanao on January 8.
- Paglas told this reporter via telephone Wednesday the hospital's vacated site would become part of the buildings for the provincial government administration. (Walter I. Balane / MindaNews)
