Funding for children’s hospital, CCMC expansion

Construction of a community hospital, a children’s hospital and the expansion of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) will be pursued by the Rama administration for the next three years.

Acting CCMC chief Dr. Gloria Duterte presented yesterday to Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama a three-year-plan that covers the expansion of the city hospital and building a three-storey children’s hospital.

The CCMC will submit a feasibility study on a children’s hospital to a non-government organization (NGO) on or before September this year.

Dr. Duterte said the children’s hospital will be built on the lot presently occupied by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Mayor Michael Rama said he will transfer the BFP to another location once the hospital project receives funding from the NGO.

She said the CCMC will also complete a feasibility study on the CCMC expansion on February next year.

The CCMC’s expanded wing will house the out-patient department, surgical, OB-Gyne and Pediatrics wards.

A violet room will also be provided for children and women victims of abuse.

About P50 million allocated by the Department of Health (DOH) will go to repairs and procurement of facilities for the city hospital.

The P300 million CCMC expansion will be financed by the Cebu City government and the DOH, Duterte said.

She said a second community hospital will be built in the mountain barangay of Bonbon.

CCMC is a level 3 hospital with a 300-bed capacity. In most instances, Duterte said there are two to three patients who share one bed particularly during dengue season.

The city hospital is operating on a P364 million budget. Duterte said she is proposing a P450 million budget for the CCMC next year. With Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac