City working on new building and equipment for city hospital

CEBU, Philippines - The city government is eyeing of building a new hospital that would serve as an annex to the existing Cebu City Medical Center.

Councilor Jose Daluz III said they are now applying for a USD10 million (or about P500 million) grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to build the new facility. Renovating or upgrading the 48-year-old existing facility is not an option, he said.

Daluz said they already received an initial commitment from JICA representatives whom they met in Manila recently. JICA’s primary thrust is assisting countries in improving healthcare and protecting the environment.

Dr. Eduardo Sedoripa, Acting Chief of Hospital of CCMC, said pertinent documents and other requirements are being prepared for their application.

JICA reportedly asked for a report on the current status or condition of CCMC and the needs of the hospital.

Sedoripa said personally wants the new facility to serve as an expansion of the existing hospital since one of the hospital’s major problems is the lack of space especially the increasing number of patients. Part of the grant, he said, would be utilized to purchase brand new medical equipment.

CCMC caters to indigent residents of the city.

Sedoripa, who assumed as acting chief of CCMC last January 3, said his priority remains the proper management of the existing hospital.

Aside from system and policies, Sedoripa said he also wants to improve the management of the resources with the budget given to them by the city government.

CCMC is appropriated some P211 million this year which is over P31 million more than previous year’s budget.

Of the P211 million, P145 million is for the salaries and wages of employees, P65 million is for the Maintenance and Operating Expenses and P20 million for the drugs and medicines.

Facing reporters yesterday, Sedoripa said government physicians are “much better” compared to their counterparts in the private hospitals because they are able to accomplish their tasks despite the government’s shortcomings. “Sa mga private hospitals ang mga doktors wala man kaayo’y mga problema kay gawas nga daghan sila kompleto pa gayud sila og kahimanan, mga tambal ug ubang kagamitan,” he said.

CCMC is a 300-bed capacity hospital, but the number of patients confined there always exceeds the limit, which forces hospital authorities to accommodate two patients in one bed.

At present, CCMC has 467 employees, but only 75 of them are regulars, the rest are casuals. There are only 55 doctors and 287 nurses.

Former mayor and now Cebu City South district Rep. Tomas R. Osmeña has criticized the CCMC doctors because of their lackluster performance, but the doctors said yesterday they become inefficient in their jobs because of the government’s failure to provide them with their needs.

The FREEMAN learned that CCMC needs more than 700 employees with at least 100 doctors, but the number went down to 525 employees three years ago.Reacting on the doctors’ statements, Mayor Michael Rama said the number of employees may not be the major issue.

“Usahay gud mahimo man nga mas maayo ang performance bisan gamay ra ang kawani basta motrabaho lang kay sa daghan nga ligoy,” Rama said. He also did not assure that the city can make the budget for the hospital bigger. (FREEMAN)