The Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC) is confident of attaining its target of 1,500 hospital beds in the next four years, nearly triple its current capacity, its chief said on Friday.

Joseph Michael Jaro said the expansion would address congestion at the regional hospital, which has been experiencing an occupancy rate of 117 percent.

“As we improve the infrastructure, we improve bed capacity, and we are moving towards 1,500 beds by 2028. The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, is committed to supporting the development of EVMC,” Jaro told reporters in a press briefing.

The expansion is mandated under Republic Act 11567, which was passed into law in 2021.

Currently, the hospital, located in Cabalawan village in the city, has 629 beds but the facility has been treating up to 800 patients.

“The challenge is that several cases are referred to EVMC even if the condition is manageable in district and provincial hospitals. I will meet with our local government officials to help address this problem,” Jaro added.

For 2024, EVMC received an allocation of PHP3.3 billion to improve its infrastructure and acquire more medical equipment.

The outlay will finance the rehabilitation of the whole main building, construction of the cancer building, improvement of operating rooms, upgrade of emergency rooms, rehabilitation of the laboratory and radiology departments, improvement of the main lobby, and the rehabilitation of clinical wards and patient-bed-capable elevators, among others.

The hospital’s maintenance and operational expenses will also increase from the current PHP527 million to PHP1.2 billion in 2025.

The regional hospital is within a 15-hectare property developed after Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) struck the city in 2013. The old hospital in the downtown area was badly damaged by the super typhoon. (PNA)