Tomas backs off from CCMC sale plan

CEBU City Rep. Tomas Osmeña yesterday said he is still “unhappy” with how the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) is being managed, but he will no longer push through with his earlier plan to either close or sell the health facility if he wins the mayoral post in the May elections.

“I have not changed my opinion about CCMC. (But I will) just ask people if they are happy (with hospital operations). But I have decided not to sell CCMC only because nobody wants me to sell it,” he said.

Instead of selling the hospital, Osmeña said he will have the CCMC placed under the care of an ally, preferably Cogon Pardo barangay captain Eugenio Gabuya Jr. whose spouse is a doctor.

The congressman said, Gabuya’s wife can help him run the facility – if he wins a City Council seat and gets appointed caretaker of CCMC.

Osmeña is also keen on supporting the proposal of north district congressional candidate Marlo Maamo to open separate hospital for Cebu City’s two legislative districts.

CCMC was chosen as the best organization unit of City Hall while its hospital chief, Dr. Gloria Duterte, was awarded the best department head by Mayor Michael Rama during the city government awards night on Wednesday.

The recognition is one of the highlights of the city’s 76th charter day celebration scheduled on Sunday.

Osmenña said in a press conference yesterday that he did not like Duterte’s admission before the City Council that she authorized the realignment of P1 million for medicine purchase and instead spent the amount on supplies which included the purchase of ballpoint pens.

“She (Duterte) deserves an award for that. To Mike Rama, she deserves to be the most outstanding. I think birds of the same feather parehas gyud na. They are all the same, oy,” he said.

Osmeña also expressed disappointment on the P280 million appropriation which the city is giving CCMC per year.

In comparison, Osmeña said that the total of P30 million which he and north district Rep. Rachel del Mar allocate from their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) per year is able to even give city residents better medical care.

“But if people want it, they are the boss. Okay I won’t sell CCMC,” he said.

Osmena said that without having to spend so much focus on CCMC, he wanted hospital operations to monitored by Gabuya.

“I don’t have to spend all my time on something that is unproductive. You have to think of those where we can grow because if I spend my time on something that is unproductive that I can fix it but its at the expense of everything else so ayaw na lang,” he said.

Meanwhile, CCMC had its first pararoscopic assisted operation yesterday morning. Dr. Noel Astrologo placed a hole on the anus of a seven-year-old boy from Toledo City. The operation demonstrated the availability of the P7.2 million equipment at the city-run hospital./Chief of Reporters Doris Bongcac