City not questioning CCMC's capability

CEBU, Philippines – The implementation of the executive order deferring consultation services to the barangay centers is not meant to question the capability of Cebu City Medical Center, according to City Council Committee on Health and Hospital Services head Christopher Alix.

This after CCMC head nurse at the Out-Patient Department Ofelia Habagat said they were just surprised with the new directive.

“Dili man mi congested, systematic man mi diri, we have enough doctors and we even have working snack hours just to accommodate everyone,” Habagat said.

Habagat said in the first two days of the directive’s effectivity they still accepted consultations of residents with no referrals from barangay level and even non city residents.

“For me lang ha, needed pa gyud kaayo ang dissemination sa order, guidelines must be laid down and at the same time equip the barangays. We are a hospital, mandated mi anang serbisyoha,” Habagat said.

Since Monday, assistant nurse Porferia Gallano said they catered to an average of 200 patients a day.

They said they cannot say no for now but next time they will remind them that consultations are already available at their respective barangay health centers.

Alix said the directive should not be taken in that perspective.

“We are taking back the responsibility that consultation, preventive is our responsibility, so we take it back, we empower the barangay health centers,” Alix said.

Alix said the doctors employed at CCMC, at the private hospitals and those assigned at the health centers are all the same.

“We want to save life, detect an illness at an earlier stage, let them save money for fare as well as the hassle,” Alix said.

The city government had already allotted P3.5 million for medicines and an additional P10 million will soon be set aside for the upgrading of health services.

“I don’t consider it late to start with this system, the barangay health centers are closer to the people, these are the tentacles,” Alix said.

He said there are even health centers that are already equipped with lying-in facilities, therefore extending service time.

Alix said the purpose of decongesting CCMC was equally important as letting the people realize and trust the value of the health centers.

Meanwhile, the city is set to hire at least 20 more doctors to help improve medical services to the public, particularly in the barangay health centers.

Mayor on-leave Tomas Osmeña, who is still in Houston, Texas, for a checkup of his operation, confirmed that he already approved the hiring of more physicians.

The city health department only has 36 doctors and most of them are assigned to the barangay health centers, but with the latest policy of Osmeña, the city really needs more doctors.

Osmeña wants that before a patient can be accepted for confinement at the Cebu City Medical Center, the doctors at the barangay health centers will first evaluate his physical condition whether he really needs to be confined.

The mayor also ordered that only city residents can be confined at the CCMC, except for life-threatening cases. But when the patient is already in normal condition, he should be referred to another hospital.

At present, there is only one doctor of the City Health Department for every two or three barangay health centers. There are 85 barangay health centers in the city’s 80 barangays because some big barangays have two health centers.

But CCMC administrator Rene Sanapo said there is a need to further discuss the issue before it will be strictly implemented because he observed some awkward situations.

“Panahon sa gabii wala may mga kawani sa barangay health centers, busa unsaon man nila pag-evaluate sa usa ka pasyente? Unsaon man na nga dili man dawaton sa CCMC ang mga pasyente kon dili mag-agi sa health centers?” Sanapo said.

A city health official said it is also not good to assign a doctor to every barangay health center.

“Dunay mga doctor nga matulog lang kon tagsaan g’yod og doctor ang mga health center,” he said.

CCMC officials assured that they will still accept patients even if they are not residents of Cebu City if they need immediate medical treatment. – Ferliza C. Contratista and Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)