SPMC Watchers’ Hall inaugurated

DAVAO CITY — The watchers’ hall at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) was officially inaugurated on Saturday with Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go, leading the ribbon cutting.

The five-story SPMC Pahulayan Building, which has a capacity of 140 people, has an elevator, toilets, washing areas, benches, and a roof deck with a total area of 2,054.84 square meters.

The facility, which was funded under the Fiscal Year 2021 Regular Infrastructure Program with an original contract amount of P151.5 million, aims to serve the families and watchers of patients admitted at the SPMC who often come from far-flung areas and cannot afford to spend for accommodations near the hospital.

“Sometimes there are more watchers than patients. In one patient, there are sometimes two or three watchers, especially when they come from far away, far-flung areas or outside Davao City. But we are implementing a guideline, ‘one patient, one watcher’,” said Dr. Ricardo B. Audan, SPMC chief, in an interview.

The Pahulayan Building is a brainchild of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte when he was the mayor of Davao City. It started as a one level building in 2012.

The construction of the five-story building began on November 9, 2021. After two years and four months of construction, the facility was completed on March 17, 2024.

The services at the SPMC Pahulayan Building are free of charge. — Maya M. Padillo