For over 30 years, patients in Pinamungajan and nearby municipalities had to travel outside the town for basic X-ray examinations.
That changed on Friday as Pinamungajan District Hospital officially launched its first X-ray service, providing residents access to diagnostic imaging within the municipality.
The opening of the facility was part of the hospital’s 33rd founding anniversary celebration, where the Cebu Provincial Government also unveiled and started several healthcare and infrastructure projects aimed at improving services at the district hospital.
The province procured the P5-million digital X-ray machine in 2025. While the hospital had an X-ray room since it opened in 1993, the facility remained unused for years due to the absence of equipment and other operational requirements.
Hospital officials said the service was made possible after the completion of preparations, including the hiring of two radiologic technologists and securing the required license to operate the X-ray facility.
Cebu Provincial Government public health consultant Dr. Elisse Nicole “Nikki” Catalan said the new service would reduce the burden on patients who previously had to travel to other areas or seek private facilities for X-ray examinations.
“Dili na need ang mga residents nga moadto pa sa lagyo ug private institutions,” Catalan said.
She added that the hospital is working toward expanding the service to operate 24 hours a day.
Catalan also described the equipment as the most advanced digital X-ray machine currently available among Cebu Province’s district hospitals.
“At the moment, ang kani nga district hospital ang pinaka hi-tech nga X-ray machine at the moment,” she said.
Aside from the diagnostic facility, provincial officials also led the groundbreaking of the hospital’s first eco-friendly sewage treatment plant, which will treat wastewater before it is released into the environment.
The project is part of the Cebu Provincial Government’s P65.9-million initiative to establish sewage treatment systems in nine provincial and district hospitals. Pinamungajan District Hospital received the biggest allocation among the facilities at P9.1 million.
Officer-in-Charge Chief of Hospital Dr. Glyla Mae Galban said the sewage treatment plant will help improve hospital operations while supporting environmental protection efforts.
“Dako gyud siya nga tabang kay aside sa iyahang e-treat ang water, ma-recycle pa siya,” Galban said.
Hospital officials also reported that the facility’s workforce has grown from more than 60 employees before the current provincial administration to 106 personnel, allowing the hospital to add more doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and support staff.
Other ongoing improvement projects at the hospital include the construction of a hazardous waste building, repairs to hospital structures, repainting of facilities and perimeter fences, and the construction of an ambulance parking and maintenance building.
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