CEBU, Philippines — The House of Representatives has approved the proposed establishment of a children’s hospital in the Liloan town, Cebu to be known as the Liloan Children’s Hospital.
Cebu Fifth District Rep. Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco filed House Bill No. 8274 on December 16, 2020 which was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Health on January 18, 2021.
On September 27, 2021, the House approved substitute HB No. 10254 which was transmitted to the Senate the following day.
Frasco said this development is good news for the people of Liloan and the 5th District of Cebu.
“The Liloan Children’s Hospital in Liloan, Cebu will soon serve people from Liloan and neighboring municipalities and cities in the 5th District, Province of Cebu,” said Frasco in a Facebook post.
Frasco’s bill seeks for the establishment of the 200-bed capacity Liloan Children’s Hospital under the direct supervision of the Department of Health.
Liloan is a first-class municipality with a population of 153,197 residing in 14 barangays as of the 2020 census.
The municipality currently runs the Liloan Community Medical Emergency Services Center (LCMES), which was established in June 2012 during Frasco’s term as mayor, and other private healthcare facilities, Liloan currently does not have any hospital which caters specifically to pediatric concerns.
Frasco emphasized the country’s commitment under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to reduce child mortality, improve mental health, and combat other women’s and children’s diseases.
“The establishment of the Liloan Children’s Hospital as herein proposed is geared towards the attainment of such goal within the municipality,” said Frasco.
Frasco said that the proposed children’s hospital as a specialized institution that will specifically be dedicated to pediatric concerns will not only serve the pediatric patients from Liloan, but would also cater those coming from the different localities in the fifth district of Cebu and the rest of northern Cebu.
The proposed hospital shall specialize on the care of children and shall focus on children health care, prenatal testing, pediatrics care, nutrition services, immunization services, education classes for parenting, and children’s health awareness.
The proposed bill provides that the DOH shall provide funding for the establishment and operation of the LCH and the Secretary of Health shall include in the Department’s subsidy program, support for the capital outlays of the said hospital.
For Frasco, access to health services is a basic human right thus making health services as among his top priorities.
Also pending before the House Committee on Health is HB No. 8275 which Frasco also filed seeking for the upgrading of the Provincial Hospital in the City of Danao from a level I hospital into a level II general hospital to be known as the North Cebu Medical Center (NCMC). — JMD (FREEMAN)