EDITORIAL — A better solution

Photos of hospital watchers sleeping on the sidewalk outside the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City, are now drawing outrage from netizens.

Aside from already suffering the stress of taking loved ones to the hospital, it would seem they are also forced to sleep like beggars after traveling from the different towns of Cebu Province or even as far as Bohol, other parts of the Visayas, and even Mindanao.

Of course this isn’t acceptable. They themselves can become patients if they fall ill because of exposure to the elements, get hit by vehicles, or are victimized by criminals.

The hospital has been criticized for its “one watcher per patient” rule, something that it insists is necessary because of their limited space and ever-increasing number of patients.

We can criticize VSMMC all we want, but their hands are tied. To their credit they also said they are now working on a long-term solution; it’s currently constructing a new building with a ground floor intended to include a designated area for patient watchers and companions of patients in the emergency room.

Another solution, perhaps we dare say a better one, is staring us in the face; making sure patients don’t have to travel from the different towns of Cebu Province or even as far as Bohol, other parts of the Visayas, and even Mindanao to get the treatment they deserve.

No, we don’t mean discouraging them from coming here. We mean providing better hospital care where they are so they don’t have to travel far.

The advantage obvious; people don’t have to go so far or spend more to get medical services for their loved ones. We don’t have to explain how traveling compounds expenses and adds to the stress of the patient and his or her family.

Of course, part of this idea is obviously outside the purview of VSMMC and something that belongs to the different regional and even national authorities. So the sooner they get involved the sooner things will become better.