DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Philippines — Top officials from the Department of Health (DoH) central office recently, ground-break the out-patient department building of the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH) in this city, which reportedly cost P80 million.

The ground-breaking ceremony was spearheaded by Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo together with DoH Undersecretary Nemesio Gaco, Assistant Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and Enrique Tayag at an empty lot behind NOPH New Administration Building.

The three-storey building is funded by the European Commission and DoH where the latter will shoulder P77 million of the total budget.

Meanwhile, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Dante Domingo bared that the construction of the new hospital facility is expected to boost the capacity of the NOPH by providing better health care services to the public."The construction of the OPD will further improve our delivery of health services to the people in the province, especially to those who have less in life,” he said.

Domingo added that the new building will also decongest the overflowing NOPH main building that houses the patient wards.

NOPH, classified as a Tertiary 1 government hospital is among DoH retained hospitals in the region.

Meanwhile, Herbosa on the same occasion disclosed that the funding of the said project is a national grant aimed at improving pro-poor health systems nationwide.

“We want to see public hospitals deliver quality health service at low cost, which is why we are putting money in basic health services and facilities,” he stressed.

It can be recalled that DOH spent some P7 billion last year for construction and repair of various health facilities across the country.

Degamo, on the other hand thanked the DoH for funding the NOPH project as it will make health-care services more accessible to the public.

“The completion of the OPD structure supports the provincial government's efforts to provide quality health care services to Negrenses and its my desire to meet the health needs of the people by providing patients a sanitary and comfortable hospital,” he said.

Moreover, the new building is the fifth important health initiative launched in the province this year, starting with the Provincial Health Insurance of Negros Oriental (PHINO), fully integrated computerized health system, procurement of a diagnostic imaging equipment and the ongoing construction of the Central Block Building behind the NOPH.

Earlier, health secretary Enrique Ona has also pledged to donate more funds to complete the Central Block building of the hospital which was among the priority program of the late Gov. Emilio C. Macias II who was a doctor by profession.