Rama sets aside termination order for CCMC contractor

Cebu City Acting Mayor Michael Rama inspects the CCMC building on Wednesday morning, August 4, 2021. | photo from Office of the Vice Mayor

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Cebu City Acting Mayor Michael Rama has set aside his plans to terminate the contractor of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).

Rama, in a recent press conference, said he has granted the request of project proponents of the CCMC to continue with the construction of the hospital’s upper floors. 

“Ato sa nang i-sideline ang cancellation. Ang atong i-focus ang ilahang buhaton and that is the marching directive we have,” said Rama. 

The vice mayor earlier announced that he has given an ultimatum to the contractor of CCMC that the three upper floors of the new hospital building should start accepting patients by August 9, 2021.

READ: Rama wants CCMC upper floors operational by Aug. 9 

He wanted the city’s new hospital building to start accommodating COVID-19 patients as they grapple the rising number of infections here. 

However, hospital administrator Yvonne Cania said they were not able to meet the deadline Rama had set.

Cania, in an earlier interview, said they requested Rama to extend the timeline up to a maximum of three weeks to finish other works, including isolation rooms for COVID-positive patients. 

READ: Upper floors of CCMC still not operational

Cebu City hospitals are currently overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients who need hospital care. 

The city has been placed under a stricter Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) since August 1. 

/bmjo