Now Reading: Davao public hospital pushes expansion as patient congestion worsens
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Davao public hospital pushes expansion as patient congestion worsens
Davao public hospital pushes expansion as patient congestion worsens
The Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) is seeking additional government support for hospital expansion and the establishment of more healthcare facilities as rising patient admissions continue to strain the country’s largest public hospital.
The call came after the House of Representatives Committee on Health approved House Bills 1066 and 5573, which aim to increase SPMC’s bed capacity from 1,500 to 2,500 and provide additional national budget allocation for the hospital.
According to the Philippine Information Agency, the proposed measures were consolidated and endorsed by Deputy House Speaker Ferjenel Biron.
In an address before the Davao City Council, SPMC Medical Director Ricardo Audan said the expansion is necessary as the hospital continues to experience a sharp increase in admissions from across Mindanao.
“This development is a crucial step toward our long-term goal of strengthening tertiary and specialized healthcare services in Mindanao, ensuring that our patients no longer need to travel to Manila for advanced procedures,” Audan said.
Audan said the hospital has recorded a 140 percent increase in patient admissions, placing pressure on both facilities and personnel despite employing around 6,300 staff members in Davao City.
He noted that SPMC currently has around 3,000 nurses, below the ideal workforce needed to accommodate the growing patient load. Staffing challenges also persist as healthcare workers continue to seek employment opportunities abroad.
According to Audan, intensive care unit nurses currently handle up to six patients each, exceeding the ideal ratio of one nurse for every three patients. Ward nurses, meanwhile, attend to over 20 patients each, far beyond the recommended one-to-12 ratio.
The hospital is also facing shortages in specialized doctors, particularly anesthesiologists and pediatricians.
SPMC currently employs around 800 doctors, slightly below its target of at least 900.
To help decongest patient volume, SPMC is set to open a Trauma Center across its emergency room and is exploring the expansion of facilities in Bago Oshiro.
Audan also urged the local government of Davao City to establish its own city hospital to further reduce congestion in SPMC.
The city government currently allocates P25 million annually to support 65 nursing personnel assigned to the hospital.
SPMC traces its origins to the Davao Public Hospital established in 1917 with only 25 beds. It later became the Davao Medical Center in 1986 before officially being renamed Southern Philippines Medical Center in 2009.
