Senate OK'd Go's bill upgrading Zamboanga sanitarium

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography and principal sponsor of House Bill No. 9656, welcomed the Senate's approval of the measure on its third and final reading on Monday.

The bill aims to rename the Mindanao Central Sanitarium in Pasobolong, Zamboanga City, to the Zamboanga Regional Medical Center. This change is intended to elevate the status of the facility and expand its capacity to provide medical services to the people of the Zamboanga Peninsula and nearby regions.

“Ang pagpasa ng panukalang ito ay isang malaking hakbang tungo sa mas mahusay na serbisyo sa kalusugan para sa mga kababayan natin sa Zamboanga at karatig na mga lugar. Magbibigay-daan ito sa pagpapalawak ng kapasidad ng ospital at pagtugon sa mas maraming pangangailangang medikal,” Go stated.

During the Senate deliberations, lawmakers expressed their support for the bill, indicating a unified commitment to improving healthcare accessibility in all regions.

Go voted in favor of the measure, underscoring the urgent need to expand health facilities and services to cater to the evolving medical needs of the community.

The measure seeks not only to rename but also to highlight the hospital’s commitment to providing comprehensive medical care that matches the standards expected of regional medical centers. The renaming reflects the facility’s evolving role as it expands its capability to offer specialized and advanced healthcare services.