“As much as P200M” aid; DOH to help build Cebu City hospital

CEBU, Philippines - Department of Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial yesterday said her office will give the Cebu City government financial assistance for the construction of the Cebu City Medical Center.

She said they are now in looking into the department's budget before earmarking an amount for the CCMC.

"We are looking at the budget and yes we will provide assistance. Hindi naman kami parang bibitaw because it is really for the health services of the people," said Ubial, who was in Cebu City yesterday for the “5th Neglected Tropical Diseases Forum.”

Ubial, though, said that other cities and provinces that already received a similar assistance from DOH were given "as much as P200 million."

Ubial said that in most cases, the cost of the construction of local hospitals is shared by the DOH and by the local government unit.

The 45-year-old CCMC building that was built on a 1.2-hectare lot along N. Bacalso Avenue was demolished after it was declared unsafe following the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Cebu and Bohol last October 15, 2013.

The P600-million phase one of CCMC, which involves the construction of five storeys of the building, is already “50 percent” done, with the building being expected to be operational by December.

The 10-storey hospital, which is estimated to cost, P1.5 billion, has no target date of completion yet since funds are still being raised to cover the total amount.

Shortly after the hospital building was declared unfit for occupancy, the administration of the then mayor Michael Rama started a donation campaign for the construction of the new CCMC structure. Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon, Dale Israel (FREEMAN)