ANTIQUE – Aspirations turned into reality for the residents of Sibalom town here. The newly built Ramon Maza Sr. Memorial District Hospital located in Barangay Catungan I is set to open on Friday, Sept. 16.
Sibalom residents no longer need to travel to the capital town — San Jose de Buenavista — to seek medical assistance as the level one, 25-bed capacity hospital would cater to outpatients; provide services for general health, x-ray and operations; and those who want to avail themselves services for mental health.
Gov. Rhodora Cadiao and Sibalom’s Mayor Gian Carlo F. Occeña led the inauguration of the hospital on Sept. 9. A blessing of the facility followed.
According to Cadiao, the provincial government, together with Sen. Loren Legarda, strived for the construction of the new hospital since the town’s old hospital is already crowded.
“This has been the dream of the people of Sibalom and of course the people of San Remigio and Hamtic na wara sang acsess sa hospital. Unang lunas if may emergency idaan muna nila sa Sibalom hospital and if hindi talaga kaya dalhin na nila sa Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital in San Jose,” said Cadiao in an exclusive interview with Panay News.
The provincial government allotted a P20-million budget while the office of former congresswoman and now senator Loren Legarda allotted P103 million for the new hospital.
This is just the beginning of the provincial government’s efforts to improve healthcare in the province, as Cadiao hopes that before she ends her term in 2025, Antiqueños will no longer need to travel to Iloilo City since health services in Antique are hopefully complete by then.
“What we are doing in our health system in Antique is buligan ang mga Antiqueño para indi na sila magsagap sang good health services kasi dito sa Antique mismo it can already be provided,” the governor added./PN
