100 more beds for interim CCMC; Mayor wants to expand space

A SOFT opening will be held today for an  interim Cebu City Medical Center while waiting for construction to start of  a planned P1.5 billion hospital.

The expansion will add 100 more beds to the temporary hospital’s  current capacity of 108 beds.

“With this expansion, we believe we can comply with the DOH regulations to upgrade to Level 2 accreditation,” said CCMC director for administration  Rey Cris Panugaling.

At present the center   functions  only as an emergency  hospital or infirmary after its status was downgraded by the Department of Health when  the CCMC was demolished in 2013 due to the Bohol quake and  operations were  transfered to the fire department compound.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he wants to expand the space  more to include the building occupied by the Land Transportation Office (LTO-7).

“The (LTO-7) should give way already because I want to complete the services of CCMC. They should be the one to look for (a new office) because they  have the money. The lot is owned by the city,” Rama said in yesterday’s press conference.

He said he wants the whole area converted into   a “wellness, quick response and medical complex.”

This proposed complex will include the LTO-7 building, the old building of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 7 compound until the One Citilink Terminal.

The interim CCMC occupies the old Citom building. Rama said he won’t be renewing the contract of the jeepney terminal  since it doesn’t belong near a hospital.

“We’re willing to transfer because it’s an opportunity for us to look for a better place,” said LTO 7 Regional Director Arnel Tancinco.

He  asked the city government to give  a formal notice “with a sense or urgency” so they can set things in motion.

The transfer was discussed two years ago, he said, when the  LTO received a letter from the mayor asking them to vacate.

But he said the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has to be convinced  to set a budget for a new office.

Regulations

“The policy of DOTC is there will be no transfer and no new office unless it’s urgent,” Tancinco said.

Rama said he is willing to write Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya about it.

A Holy Mass and a blessing of the old Citom building and its offices is scheduled today followed by a  ribbon-cutting.

Panugaling said they will  prepare for Level 2 accreditation and can still achieve Level 3 d even if the new P1.5 billion CCMC building won’t be built yet.

Last year, the Department of Health (DOH) downgraded  the CCMC to Level 1 from Level 2 due to unfavorable conditions in the BFP compound where it transferred to after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake damaged their building in Oct. 15 2013.

After the downgrade, the CCMC had to stop performing major surgeries since it was classified as an infirmary or emergency hospital.

Level 1 facilities can only perform minor surgeries like wound dressing, removal of sutures, suturing of minor injuries and other similar operations.