GINGOOG CITY— Residents of Gingoog City are a step closer to improved access to public healthcare after the Department of Health (DOH) approved the city's application to operate the proposed Gingoog City United Hospital and Maternity Care Facility.
The city government is preparing to begin construction of the hospital, which will rise within a proposed two-hectare medical hub near the coastal area of Barangay 25.
City Councilor Jerome Magan, chair of the City Council Committee on Health, said the city has earmarked P300 million for the hospital building, while the entire project—including medical equipment and development of the medical hub—is expected to cost more than P600 million.
The 600-square-meter hospital will initially operate as a 50-bed primary hospital, based on the DOH approval.
Mayor Erick G. Cañosa led the groundbreaking ceremony on July 17 as part of the city's 66th Charter Day celebration and the 47th Grand Kaliga Festival.
City Planning and Development Officer Engr. Joel V. Sinatao said the city has allocated P25 million from this year's development fund for site preparation and the first phase of construction.
Magan said all major medical facilities in the city, including the Philippine Red Cross, are planned to be transferred to the future medical hub to create a centralized healthcare complex.
The hospital is expected to become fully operational within the next three years.
Gingoog City currently has four hospitals with a combined capacity of 210 beds. The new city-run hospital is expected to increase bed capacity, improve access to essential healthcare services, and help ease congestion at existing facilities, particularly the Misamis Oriental Provincial Hospital-Gingoog.
The proposed medical hub is also expected to provide residents with easier access to health services while supporting the city's long-term healthcare needs.
