City dad wants CCMC Board intervention on plaint vs docs

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) Board of Directors may just look into reports that some doctors in the hospital are demanding professional fees from patients.

Councilor Ronald Cuenco said he will bring the matter up during the Board’s next meeting. Cuenco, by virtue of his chairmanship of the City Council’s Committee on Health and Hospital Services, sits in the hospital board.

In yesterday’s regular session of the City Council, Cuenco said he believes that demanding additional payment from the patients as professional fees is no longer fair, even if the doctors are just receiving honorarium from City Hall as consultants.

Reports have it that the doctors who allegedly demanded professional fees whenever they operate on patients are not connected directly with CCMC, but are only asked to render services to the hospital when their expertise on a certain field is needed.

Councilor Margarita Osmeña said several residents in the city visit her house almost everyday to ask for medicines that CCMC cannot provide. They also complain of the professional fees imposed by some doctors.

Some of the professional fees reach up to P15,000, but the same cannot be charged to the City Hall Assistance and Medical Program (CHAMP).

CCMC Director Gloria Duterte said doctors employed by CCMC will not charge professional fees, but it is the consultants whose honorarium from City Hall only range from P9,000 to P15,000 a month who may have done so.

Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas R. Osmeña criticized the poor administration of the 250-bed capacity hospital whose annual budget has been raised to P240 million.

It was learned that a huge part ofCCMC’s budget goes to the salaries of personnel and for other expenses. Only P40 million is alloted for drugs and medicines. –(FREEMAN)