Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia. | CDN Digital File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Capitol will be looking into provincial and district hospitals, as well as doctors, who refer patients from the province with manageable cases to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) instead of treating them.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia recently directed health personnel and officials in the province to refrain from sending these patients to VSMMC if they can attend to them at their hospitals.
In a recent meeting with mayors, health officials in Cebu, VSMMC and the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), Garcia said the Capitol discovered that it has reportedly become a habit for provincial and district hospitals to transfer patients to VSMMC instead of attending their needs.
Garcia called the meeting, which took place last August 24, following concerns from mayors that patients with critical or severe cases who come from the province were allegedly not accommodated in VSMMC due the huge influx of patients there.
Highlights of the activity were broadcasted by Sugbo News, the Capitol’s media arm.
“Well, expect a meeting nga makigatubang ko (sa mga hospitals and doctors) nga mudiretso lang ug refer nga kaya ra man diay unta… Warningi nalang sila daan para di magpadayun,” said Garcia.
“This is such a shameful and greedy habit at the expense of our people. Ang mga Sugbuanon ani maoy makaluluoy tungod kay gitapol. Pero wa tapola mag sge ug dawat ug dako nga sweldo,” she added.
VSMMC is Central Visayas’ largest state-ran hospital, and often receives thousands of referrals not only from provincial and district hospitals in Cebu but also from other parts in the region.
Cebu province is managing a total of 16 hospitals, of which four are classified as provincial hospitals while the rest are district hospitals.
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/dcb