Benguet: Provincial officials said placing the Benguet General Hospital (BeGH) under the operation and management of the Department of Health (DOH) will be more beneficial to the patients, who are mostly from the province, considering the limited resources of the provincial government that currently operates it.

According to Philippines News Agency, Gov. Melchor Diclas emphasized that the hospital would benefit from increased resources and funding if managed by the DOH. Diclas, who is also a medical doctor, noted that many patients in the province, especially farmers, cannot afford their medical expenses. With DOH management, the hospital could provide zero-balance billing and cover all patient expenses with support from the national government.

In a statement, Benguet Lone District Rep. Eric Yap announced that the House Committee on Health recently approved House Bill 1508. This bill aims to place BeGH under DOH supervision to secure stronger government support for the province’s main public hospital.

Yap explained that the measure would enable the hospital to access larger national funding for facility upgrades, modern medical equipment, and additional healthcare personnel. “The measure is intended to improve the delivery of healthcare services not only for Benguet residents but also for patients coming from nearby Cordillera provinces who rely on the hospital for treatment,” Yap said.

BeGH was transferred to the local government’s supervision following the implementation of the Local Government Code of 1991, which devolved several national services, including hospitals, to provincial and municipal governments.