Cebu City steps in to ease plight of patient watchers at VSMMC

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City is stepping in to ease the plight of patient watchers outside Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), where families have been sleeping on sidewalks, a situation that has caught the attention of hospital management.

Although VSMMC is a national hospital under the Department of Health, its location in the heart of Cebu City has made the issue a pressing concern for local officials, who are now seeking to balance compassion with public order.

Mayor Nestor Archival convened a meeting with DOH-7 Regional Director Dr. Joshua Brillantes, VSMMC Chief Dr. Gerardo Aquino Jr., representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and officials from the Cebu Provincial Health Office and the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.

The mayor emphasized that the city cannot ignore the human dimension of the problem, even if the hospital itself is not under the city's jurisdiction.

“Importante nga magkahiusa ang atong mga ahensya aron makit-an ang angay nga paagi sa pagtabang sa mga pamilya nga nag-atiman sa ilang mga pasyente, samtang gipadayon ang kahapsay ug kaluwasan sa palibot sa ospital,” Archival said.

The sidewalks around VSMMC have become makeshift shelters for patient watchers, many of whom travel from distant towns and provinces.

Hospital policy allows only one watcher per patient to prevent overcrowding and reduce the risk of infection. However, this has left other relatives outside, often sleeping on cardboard or mats.

Previous initiatives to provide temporary housing and shuttle services were discontinued due to low participation. Although VSMMC is constructing a new building with designated space for patient watchers, officials acknowledge that it will not fully meet the demand.

Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro has also issued a statement describing the situation as a regional concern, stressing that patients and their families from across Cebu and neighboring provinces are affected.

She has urged the Regional Development Council to convene the concerned agencies to discuss both immediate relief measures and long-term solutions.

VSMMC earlier reiterated that the one-watcher rule is intended to safeguard patients and staff, not to separate families.

Hospital officials acknowledged the hardships faced by those staying outside and expressed openness to renewed partnerships with local governments and community groups to provide temporary shelters.

Archival's administration is now exploring ways to provide temporary shelter and sanitation facilities, as well as coordinate with social welfare agencies to ensure that patient watchers are not left vulnerable on the streets. —/IHM

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