He said the Department of Health (DOH)-Region 12 runs the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center based in Cotabato City but records showed that about 54 percent of its patients are from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
“Due to the cost of travel and distance (to Cotabato City), most patients situated in other areas of Region 12 have to rely on the services of provincial or district hospitals for their health needs that are unfortunately inadequate for more serious illnesses,” he said.
Valero, who is also the regional director of the National Economic and Development Authority, cited poor patients from the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Sarangani as well as this city.
The provincial government of South Cotabato initially pushed for the conversion of the provincial hospital annex into a regional facility to answer “the need for better hospital services in the region.”
The move was initially backed by South Cotabato representatives Pedro Acharon Jr. of the first district and Ferdinand Hernandez of the second district.
Senate President Franklin Drilon also endorsed it to Health Secretary Enrique Ona through a letter dated November 7, 2013.
Citing the DOH-12’s initial assessment, Valero said the provincial hospital annex, which was officially named as Upper Valley Community Hospital, has met the physical requirements of a regional hospital.
He cited the required capacity of at least 100 hospital beds and a land area of around 30,000 square meters.
