The Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) will soon have a behavioral health unit after the Cebu City Council passed the ordinance to create one at the city hospital. | CDN DIGITAL FILE PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City now has an ordinance establishing a behavioral health unit at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).
The city council unanimously approved, on third and final reading, on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, the proposed ordinance that aims to address the growing mental health needs of the city.
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Ordinance No. 2681
The proposal authored by Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos is now City Ordinance No. 2681.
“Without a doubt, the presence of a mental health as well as a spiritual health component makes Cebu City Medical Center a complete hospital that offers the bio-psychosocial and spiritual approach to treatment,” De los Santos said.
“In most cases, vehicular accidents [victims] will not only experience physical, but psychosocial trauma as well. Likewise, victims of violence may involve physical or psychosocial trauma or injury. More often than not, once the patient is brought to the emergency room, the focus of the treatment is more on the physical injury, but with this ordinance, it will cater not only to the physical injury but the psychosocial as well,” she added.
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CCMC Behavioral Health Unit Ordinance
The Cebu City Medical Center Behavioral Health Unit Ordinance caters only to short-term treatment to stabilize patients.
The number of days the patient would stay would commensurate the number of weeks the psychotropic medication will achieve its therapeutic effects.
The facility will also cater to out-patient services for periodic mental health treatment care like counselling and therapy, and referral system involving other government and non-government mental health facilities.
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Psychologists, psychiatrists, facility
The Behavioral Health Unit in CCMC will be composed of two psychiatrists, three psychologists, one psychometrician, one social welfare officer, two nurses, and one administrative aide.
The mental health facility will house a mental health stabilization unit that includes admitting area, calming room, patient’s wards, multipurpose hall, and examination room, among others.
The funding required by this ordinance would be included in the city’s annual budget.
The ordinance would take effect after 10 days from its approval.
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