DAVAO CITY (PIA) – Patient watchers at the Southern Philippine Medical Center will now have a decent and comfortable place to wait for their patients as Balay Pahulayan or the Facility for Patient Watchers at the SPMC was inaugurated on Saturday (Nov. 9).
The five-story structure has 140 benches that can be used as beds by the watchers, each floor is provided with comfort rooms including a toilet for persons with disabilities. The comfort rooms have washing areas where people can wash their dishes or do laundry. The building is also equipped with elevators. The roof deck of the building has a function room.
According to SPMC Medical Director Ric Audan M.D. the building is the answer to the request of watchers to have a comfortable and decent temporary waiting area as the deluge of patients in the SPMC, many of these watchers would just camp beside the streets along the hospital.
“For these families finding a place to stay during lengthy and series of treatments has always been a difficult and costly challenge… with this additional service we hope to bring comfort to their lives especially who travel great distances and face the challenges of finding temporary shelter near the hospital,” Dr. Audan said.
He added that since SPMC is the apex hospital in Mindanao, many patients are coming from different and remote locations from the regions. The preference for those that can be accommodated at Balay Pahulayan would be those coming from distant regions.
This is the second Pahulayan facility for patient watchers in the SPMC. The location of the building was the site of the first Pahulayan, a one-storey 28-person capacity patient watcher center which was opened in 2012.
The redevelopment of the Balay Pahulayan situated in a 2,054 square meter property facing the SPMC was started in 2021 with an initial budget of P151.6 million.
“This Pahulayan was meant to address the overflow of patient watchers as the second facility became congested due to high demand,” Audan said.
“Our care and commitment extends not only to our patients but also to those who support them,” the SPMC chief added. (PIA/RGA)
