Inauguration of the 50-bed General Hospital of the Western Visayas Sanitarium and Leprosarium

Brgy. Inangayan, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo
12 January 2010

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo inaugurated the 50-Bed General Hospital of the Western Visayas Sanitarium and Leprosarium at Brgy. Inangayan, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo Province.

As she arrived at the hospital, President Arroyo unveiled the project marker and inspected the hospital facilities together with DOH Region VI Director Ariel Valencia, Sta. Barbara Mayor Isabelo Maquino and Hospital Chief Dr. Annabelle De Guzman.

President Arroyo also welcomed the 71 medical people composed of Filipino doctors, nurses and dentists from Medlend and ABCs for Global Health Foundations of Stanford University in the United States. These volunteers will conduct major and minor surgeries of different cases from January 13 to 15 at the general hospital.

She also interacted with two beneficiaries, who showed gratitude for the completion of the hospital. This will be very much helpful to them, they said.

The hospital was constructed on September 2002 and was completed last January 10, 2010. It offers efficient delivery of medical, nursing and ancillary services, while the Sanitarium, which was established in 1927 for lepers, provides trainings of health workers on leprosy controls as the collaborating center for leprosy case in Region VI, and gives fully integrate leprosy care services with the existing general health care services. This will be converted into Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Hospital and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in the Visayas as soon Congress approved House Bill No. 830. (SNN)

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