City to relocate Lahug health center

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Tomas Osmeña has ordered the transfer of venue of the Lahug barangay health center from its present location in the barangay hall to a place near the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, but still within the barangay’s territorial jurisdiction.

Lahug barangay captain Mary Ann delos Santos described the move of the mayor as another way of putting her constituents in a difficult situation because the new location is far from residential houses.

“Nganong iya pa man g’yod nga hasol-hasolon ang mga lumulopyo sa Lahug? Nganong gusto pa man niya nga papletehon pa ang pasyente pag-adto sa barangay health center?” delos Santos asked.

She recalled that the city had stopped giving additional cash incentives to her barangay garbage workers and also the granting of fuel assistance to their garbage trucks.

Dr. Luz Flora Yap, the supervisor of health personnel assigned in Lahug, said that aside from being far away from the barangay hall, there won’t be any significant changes in terms of services to the constituents.

Osmeña said he decided to pull out the personnel of the Lahug barangay health center as delos Santos is reportedly hiring three private doctors for her free out-patient services, which the mayor described as “pamolitika.”

The mayor even recalled that during the height of the campaign period in the 2007 elections when delos Santos challenged his reelection bid, the barangay captain distributed leaflets claiming that the city “gave nothing” or no project to Lahug.

Osmeña said his plan to transfer the venue of the barangay health center to a building of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority along Salinas Drive is also in line with his idea to expand the health services that will cater not only Lahug residents but those from adjacent barangays as well.

The small building to be converted into the new Lahug barangay health center situated at the TESDA compound is near the entrance of the Waterfront Hotel.

Osmeña said that the place is much suitable for a barangay health center wherein the city can provide a vehicle parking area and where the construction of a small building for a laboratory at the city’s lot near the hotel’s main entrance is feasible.

When asked on why the city did not inform delos Santos of the planned pull out of health workers from the barangay hall, Osmeña quickly said that the barangay captain did not also inform City Hall when she tore down the city’s basketball boards.

But city health officer Fe Cabugao said: “Kadto diay nga nakig-meet sa kapitan ang mga health personnel, dili ba diay to pagpananghid?”

The Lahug barangay health center is manned by two nurses, a doctor, a dentist, a midwife, and five BHWs. – Rene U. Borromeo/MEEV   (FREEMAN NEWS)