ROXAS CITY, CAPIZ – A groundbreaking ceremony on the new Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital (RMPH) main building was recently held at Brgy. Lanot here to officially start the construction of the health facility in the province.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona said during the activity that the Capiz provincial government's health initiative supports President Benigno Aquino III's health agenda to bring quality medical care to the Filipinos.

"Health care is an interest of everybody whether you are in the local government unit, in the national government or the private sector," Ona said and added that he will attend the inauguration of the new RMPH added, committing to attend the inauguration of the new RMPH if he is still the DOH secretary when the hospital is completed.

During the program, Dra. Ma. Cellini Bauson, director, RMPH, submitted a budget proposal amounting to P364-million for the new building.

"From a 100 bed capacity, we are now vying for a 300-bed capacity hospital," Bauson said.

The Capiz provincial government will initially fund P100 million to start the construction of the RMPH main building as confirmed by Capiz Gov. Victor Tanco Sr. during the program.

"We are also banking on public-private partnership. But then I'm sure that in the next two years we will be completing this new hospital and this is another monument to our desire to deliver good health care services to all people," Tanco said.

Aside from an official from the Makati Medical Center Foundation, also present during the activity were DOH 6 officials and some Integrated Provincial Health Office and RMPH officials and employees, among others.

The old RMPH is located along Arnaldo Boulevard here.*PIA