The Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC), then known as the Leyte Provincial Hospital, first opened doors to the public in July 16, 1916 at Jones Street with an authorized bed capacity of 14. With increasing demand, the hospital was relocated (to its present site) and a new building was constructed in 1925. In 1936, the hospital was further expanded to 40 beds and the new building was inaugurated by President Manuel L. Quezon.

        In 1952, the bed capacity of the hospital was further increased to 100 in order to cope with the rising health needs of the growing population. On July 6, 1970, the hospital expanded its role in the region by formally opening the Leyte Provincial Hospital School of Nursing, the 7^th School of Nursing under the Department of Health. It was then the only school of Nursing in Leyte and Samar. The hospital’s Annex Maternity and Family Planning Units were temporarily converted into classrooms, laboratories and offices for said nursing school.

        In 1972, then Congressman Artemio Mate filed a bill to increase the hospital’s bed capacity from 100 to 250 and to change its name to Speaker Daniel Z. Romualdez Memorial Hospital. This bill lapsed into a law in July 22, 1972.

        The Department of Health in 1973 by virtue of R.A. 6527, designated the hospital as a regional teaching hospital with an authorized bed capacity of 250. Aside from being the only teaching and training hospital in Eastern Visayas, it is also the end referral hospital of all government hospitals in the Region. The salient provision of R.A. 6527 was the merging of the three hospitals (the Tacloban City Hospital, the Leyte Provincial Hospital and the Speaker Daniel Z. Romualdez Memorial Hospital) into one. The ensuing years were witness to the growth of the hospital in terms of infrastructure and service delivery. In 1977, review of hospital records revealed a total number of 7,869 admitted patients and 61,747 cases served at the Out-Patient Department. A notable event in this period as well was the integration of the Regional Laboratory with the SDZR Memorial Hospital.