Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Jose Matugas II is eyeing the upgrade of four district hospitals in Siargao Island as extensions of the Siargao Island Medical Center (SIMC).
In a statement Friday, Matugas said he filed House of Representatives Bill 1033 as among his priority measures as the 19th Congress opens on July 25.
“As I have promised during my inaugural address, I prioritized the upgrading of these district hospitals into extensions of the SIMC,” he said.
The district hospitals are situated in the towns of Del Carmen, Pilar, Socorro, and Sta. Monica in Siargao Island.
The Trauma Center situated in the town of General Luna is also included in the proposed extension of the SIMC, Matugas said.
As extensions, he said, the upgrade of the district hospitals and the trauma center would further improve the medical services on the island.
Included in the upgrade is the advancement of the medical facilities and equipment of the hospitals.
The SIMC is the former Siargao District Hospital in the town of Dapa that was raised into a Level 2 facility through the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 11500, which was authored by Matugas.
RA 11500 was signed into law by former president Rodrigo Duterte on Nov. 13, 2020.
Source: Philippines News Agency