CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Local and national officials led the groundbreaking of the P400 million public hospital that will serve mostly residents of the eastern part of Misamis Oriental in Villanueva town, Misamis Oriental, on February 18..
The Northeastern Misamis General Hospital is level two 100-bed capacity health care facility located in Barangay Looc, Villanueva, just a few meters from the municipal hall.
Mayor Jennie Rosalie Uy-Mendez said the hospital is located on a one-hectare lot donated by the municipal government within the complex that houses the town hall and the future public market and bus terminal.
She said construction of the hospital, to be operated by the Department of Health, will start anytime soon and is expected to be finished next year.
Aside from the usual amenities, the facility will also have services such as centers for heart, lung, dialysis, and a children’s hospital.
Uy-Mendez said the general hospital will decongest the overcrowded DOH-operated Northern Mindanao Medical Center that will serve mostly people from the province’s eastern area.
She said the health care facility has now become a necessity for Villanueva, a second-class town being touted as Misamis Oriental’s industrial capital, due to the rising population and the establishment of industries in the municipality.
A huge portion of the economic zone being managed by the Phividec Industrial Authority is based in Villanueva.
Villanueva is home to the Phil. Sinter Corp., two coal-fired power plants, steel factories, a beverage manufacturer, and other large-scale industries.
“We must be prepared to serve the public with the best medical care. What is the use of our vibrant economy that provides jobs to our people and infrastructure projects if our people do not have access to the health care services? A public hospital is a response to that need,” Uy-Mendez said.
She said construction will start soon and is expected to be finished sometime this year.
Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go, the chairman on health in the Senate, said his committee has supported the putting up of a hospital in Villanueva.
Go, the groundbreaking’s guest of honor, said the facility will also have a Malasakit Center, a one-stop shop for patients seeking assistance from concerned government agencies such as PhilHealth and the social welfare department.
For her part, Rep. Juliette Uy, of the 2nd District of Misamis Oriental, said she has been advocating for the putting of a hospital since 2014.
