Bordado pushes for BMC’s expansion, service boost

By Jason B. Neola

IN response to the overwhelming surge in patients, particularly from Bicol and various parts of the Visayas, Congressman Gabriel H. Bordado Jr. of the 3rd district of Camarines Sur has introduced a bill aimed at expanding the services of the Bicol Medical Center (BMC).

The proposed bill is the second to be initiated by the congressman; the first one was during the 18th Congress when Republic Act 11478 was enacted in 2020, which doubled BMC’s bed capacity from 500 to 1,000.

Aside from increasing the hospital’s bed capacity, RA 11478 served as a facility for upgrading its facilities and professional healthcare services, authorizing the increase of its medical workforce complement, and appropriating funds therefor.

Today, half a decade later, as the healthcare facility is once again in need of expansion and service enhancement, Bordado gladly commits again to help the BMC by introducing House Bill 10311, which aims at expanding the hospital and enhancing its services.

Bordado’s proposed House Bill No. 10311, once enacted, will pave the way for increasing hospital beds from 1,000 to 1,500, with corresponding upgrades in facilities, professional healthcare services, medical workforce complement, and funding.

STEADFAST COMMITMENT. Rep. Bordado peruses his proposed bill, which seeks to capacitate the Bicol Medical Center as it faces challenges brought about by rising healthcare demands. CGHBJ FACEBOOK

The move underscores the urgent need to bolster healthcare infrastructure to meet the growing demands of the region.

Bordado’s explanatory note in the proposed bill, said: “For years, the Bicol Medical Center struggled to serve the constant barrage of patients that far exceeded its bed capacity and facilities. Although the hospital continued to extend specialized medical service to many indigent Bicolano patients, this difficulty in meeting the demand for usable patient beds had impacted the ability of its medical professionals to provide timely and efficient medical care.”

Both the enacted and proposed bills of Bordado aim to capacitate the BMC to extend accessible and affordable medical care to more patients, while also providing much-needed relief to an overcrowded hospital and an overworked staff.

Bordado emphasized that as “the region’s population continues to grow, age, and expand, the demand for usable hospital beds is constantly rising.”

BMC, a vital pillar of the Bicolano community, stands as the bedrock of accessible, affordable, and high-quality medical services, catering to numerous patients not just in its home city of Naga, but also across the neighboring cities and municipalities of the entire Bicol Region. Therefore, prioritizing measures to prevent overcrowding and bed shortages is essential to safeguarding the continuity and accessibility of quality medical care for all patients.