(Photo courtesy of Eastern Samar provincial government)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Felipe Abrigo Memorial Hospital (FAMH) in Guiuan, Eastern Samar officially opened Wednesday, 13 years after Super Typhoon Yolanda devastated the region, giving residents of Guiuan and nearby towns improved access to hospital care.
The rehabilitated hospital in Barangay 9A began operations more than a week after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited the facility with officials of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the local government.
The provincial government said the hospital will serve two local health zones and is expected to reduce the need for patients to travel long distances for medical treatment.
The USD 8.76-million facility is the district’s only Level 1 hospital and is expected to strengthen basic hospital services for residents of Guiuan and neighboring municipalities.
The reconstruction was undertaken through the combined support of the Korean government through KOICA, the Eastern Samar provincial government and the national government, with assistance from former senator Sonny Angara.
Eastern Samar Gov. Ralph Vincent Evardone described the opening as an achievement of the people of the province rather than of the provincial government alone.
He thanked KOICA and Angara for their support and also recognized Cecilia Cagus Storm, who lent land for the hospital’s transitional facility, and the Bernardo family, which donated the property where the new hospital now stands.
“Beyond providing direct medical services, the hospital is also expected to strengthen the local healthcare network by serving as a referral facility for smaller health facilities in the area,” Evardone said.
The facility is also expected to support training and capacity-building programs for health workers in the community.
Marcos visited the hospital on Sept. 25 to inspect the new building and medical equipment before its formal opening.
