CALBAYOG CITY- Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento said that his bill proposing for an increase of the bed capacity of the Schistomiasis Hospital and Research Center (SHRC) has been approved by the health committee of the House of Representatives.
This means, the Samar solon said, with an increased capacity, the said health facility located in Palo, Leyte, could now increase the number of its patients.
Under his proposed House Bill 5272, Sarmiento proposed to increase to 80 SHRC’s current bed capacity of 25.
The health committee of the Lower House approved the Sarmiento bill on October 2.
“The current budget of the hospital can only provide for 25 beds but the facility has an average of 61.5 admitted patients per day. On its peak, the number of admitted patients can balloon to 75-80. We can only imagine the discomfort and inconvenience that this overcrowding causes to sick patients in need of immediate medical attention,” Sarmiento said.
According to Sarmiento, one of the reasons why he pushed to increase SHRC’s bed capacity is because schistomiasis ‘is a major concern in the first district of Samar,’ his congressional district.
Schistosomiasis is a debilitating, parasitic disease which can eventually lead to death. Unfortunately, Samar is one of the areas where the disease is endemic,” Sarmiento said on his message he posted on his Facebook account.
“When I was informed of how widespread and grave the disease is, I immediately acted and mobilized stakeholder LGUs to curb its spread. Thus, we have been distributing toilets to achieve zero-open defecation and ensuring access to potable water sources for everyone, among others,” he added, referring to the measures he undertaken to address the disease that afflicts several of his constituents in the district.
Rep. Sarmiento said that he will make sure that his bill will become a law.
SHRC, the only hospital in the Philippines recognized for schistosomiasis infection management, was founded in 1975 created by virtue of Presidential Decree 1062.
Aside from serving the people of Leyte, it also serve patients from Samar and Surigao provinces. (JOEY A. GABIETA/HENRY PUYAT)