Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna said the community hospital being constructed in Baseco, Tondo may become operational before the year ends.

It is expected to serve about 10,000 residents in the area.

Lacuna said City Engineer Armand Andres reported the hospital is now 88 percent complete.

Based on the original plan, the Manila mayor said the city government originally targeted to fully equip the hospital by the end of September.

However, some changes were made to enable the hospital to accommodate more patients, considering Baseco's huge community.

"Baseco residents now will have their own hospital they can go to. By October or November, Baseco Community Hospital will be fully operational," Lacuna said.

Once operational, the hospital will be the seventh hospital to fall under the direct supervision of the City Government of Manila, in addition to the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center, Ospital ng Tondo, Justice Abad Santos General Hospital, Ospital ng Sampaloc, Ospital ng Maynila and Sta. Ana Hospital.

Dr. Ted Martin, Gat Andres Bonifacio director, said the Baseco hospital will be a big help to the residents who no longer need to go to GABMMC during an emergency.

"When someone gets into an accident or emergency, each moment is precious. We will be able to save more lives if there is a nearby fully-equipped hospital," Martin said.

Andres said the new 50-bed hospital has a fully-operational emergency room with an outpatient department, digital x-ray equipment, laboratory and central diagnostics department, centralized medical gas system with oxygen supply line, pharmacy, isolation wards, dietary department, male and female wards, maternity department and pediatric ward.