The head of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) is ending his seven-month stay with the government- run hospital to look for “greener pasture” in Canada.
Dr. Eduardo Sedoripa applied with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama for an indefinite leave that took effect on July 31.
Rama appointed Dr. Gloria Duterte, head of CCMC’s internal medicine department and coordinator of the violet ribbon advocates who help battered women, as acting hospital chief.
Duterte has been with CCMC for the last 30 years.
“It is very difficult because in just seven months, he (Sedoripa) has made remarkable accomplishments. It is hard on my part to match his performance,” she told Cebu Daily News.
Duterte said she intends to pursue the programs started by Sedoripa.
“We have the same goal of equipping the hospital so that it would be at par with other hospitals,” Duterte said.
“I will always maintain transparency in the organization and abide with the guiding principles of right and wrong and hope to be a good steward to CCMC.”
Sedoripa said he submitted to Rama on July 26, the hospital’s 2012 proposed budget of close to P600 million, which is more than double their P211 million budget for this year.
“We have to make sure that all services required for patients are available at the hospital,” he said.
Sedoripa who was appointed hospital chief on Jan. 3, visited City Hall yesterday to discuss important concerns with Rama.
Sedoripa said like Rama, he would have preferred an “outsider” to function as hospital chief.
But he said he was confident Duterte was qualified for the post he left behind.
He said former hospital chief Myrna Go was not considered for his replacement “since we have seen what she has done.”
“Let us give a chance to other medical specialists,” Sedoripa said.
CCMC is operating on a P211-million budget of which only P20 million is set aside for drugs and medicines.
Sedoripa said in the proposed 2012 budget, drugs and medicine budget was increased to P137 million.
The bulk of the hospital’s 2012 budget of almost P600 million, amounting to P200 million would go to Personnel Services or hiring additional doctors and nurses and adjustment of existing pays.
Based on Department of Health standards, a hospital should have 12 resident doctors per department.
But CCMC only has nine to 10 resident doctors per department, said Sedoripa.
About P300 million of the proposed budget will be spent on Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses. This includes P137 million for drugs and medicine.
Sedoripa said another P101 million is for capital outlay, which would be spent for the purchase of equipment that would include CT scan and MRI machines.
“Our proposed 2012 budget is based on the actual utilization from the previous year and our statistics,” he said.
He said all services needed by patients should be available at the hospital.
Sedoripa said the availability of an imaging machine would also allow CCMC to raise revenues. Doris C. Bongcac and Edison A. Delos Angeles