Japan hospitals give city items worth P8M

CEBU, Philippines - Two hospitals from Kyoto, Japan turned over P8 million worth of medical equipment to the Cebu City Medical Center and City Health Department to help improve the city government’s health care services.

Heading the Kyoto delegation were Hiroshi Akaki, chairman of the Board of Directors of Directors of ShinseiJuzenkai Medical Corporation and Atshushi Akaki, chairperson of Junzekai Medical Corporation.

Mayor Michael Rama opened three 40-foot container vans containing the donated equipment at the Cebu Ports Authority yard yesterday afternoon.

ShinseiJuzenkai Medical Corporation and Juzenkai Medical Corp. were the two hospitals Rama visited during his trip to Japan early this year.

“Our trip to Japan did not go to waste. As they promised, the medical equipment arrived despite what happened to Japan after the Tsunami,” Rama said.

Rama said the disasters in Japan have stalled the shipment of the items but the city remains thankful to the two hospitals for not changing their minds on the donations.

He said some of the items might be shared with other hospitals in neighboring towns.

The items donated include nine manually operated beds, 73 electric beds, five mobile buffet stations, 75 small refrigerators, 82 bed mattresses, 10 treatment table, five wheelchairs, four portable toilets, forceps stands, tweezer sets and several towel steamers, among others.

All have a declared value of P8 million. The city government paid about P166,000 as customs taxes, exclusive of freight fees.

The donation was facilitated by the Cebu Investment Promotions Center, which has established partnerships with several Japanese hospitals that have expressed willingness to invest in Cebu.

CCMC Chief Gloria Duterte said the donation, especially the beds, will be of great use to CCMC. (FREEMAN)