RDC XII AdCom Pushes for the Upgrading of SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital to a 300-Bed Facility

By Evie A. Cabulanan, NEDA XII

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato – The Joint Advisory Committee (AdCom) and Executive Committee of Regional Development Council (RDC) XII endorsed the proposed upgrading of SOCCKSKSARGEN General Hospital to a 300-bed facility from its present status as a community hospital, during the budget deliberation for DOH XII’s proposed budget for FY 2023 last February 15, 2022.

Honorable Ferdinand Hernandez, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Congressperson of the Second District of South Cotabato, proposed to DOH XII to increase the funding allocation for SOCCKSKSARGEN General Hospital, so its facilities can be upgraded and become a regional hospital with 300 bed capacity. During the meeting, the Regional Director of the Department of Health XII, Dr. Aristides Concepcion Tan, presented a total budget requirement of PhP 659M for SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital for CY 2023, of which PhP 70M is allocated for MOOE and PhP 589M for Capital Outlay. RDC XII AdCom recommended to DOH XII to allocate a higher budget particularly for the upgrading of SOCCKSKSARGEN General Hospital.

RD Tan informed the body of the plans for the future development of SGH, which include the completion of nursing service; 4-storey laboratory building with blood center, molecular laboratory, gnome sequencing; oxygen generation plant, 3-storey operating and delivery room building; morgue; nutrition and dietetics building; elevated water tank; generator house; and, various medical equipment.

Currently, SGH is still owned by the Provincial Government of South Cotabato pending its long awaited turn-over to DOH XII. SOCCSKSARGEN Region has no existing regional hospital due to the transfer of Cotabato City to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).