(Left to right) Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan, Congresswoman Cindi King-Chan, and Vice-mayor Celedonio Sitoy during the ribbon cutting for the opening of the city’s dialysis center in Barangay Poblacion. | Contributed photo
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu– Mayor Junard Chan led on Friday, September 8, 2023, the formal opening of a dialysis center that the city government will operate in partnership with a private firm.
The facility, that is located near the Muelle Osmeña Port in Barangay Poblacion, is equipped with 15 dialysis machines and can accommodate around 90 patients per day.
Chan said the project was close to his and his mother’s heart since his late mother, Erlinda, was also a dialysis patient.
He said that they had to transport his mother, who died in 2021, to Mandaue City for her dialysis since very few dialysis centers operated in their city then.
The late City Councilor Eugene Espedido was also a dialysis patient, he said.
“Kabalo mo, akong inahan, nag-dialysis for more than 15 years. So, damgo gyud sa akong mama nga makabaton ug dialysis center sa Lapu-Lapu kay lisod gyud kaayo ang mga pasyente ug panahon mag dialysis,” Chan said in a message that he delivered during the center’s opening program on Friday.
Wanting to make dialysis available to more Oponganons, the city government earlier entered into a joint venture agreement with a private firm, EasaCare Medical and Dialysis Center, for the establishment of a dialysis center here.
To date, Lapu-Lapu City has between 250 to 300 dialysis patients but there are only at least three medical facilities in the city that offer the service.
Chan said the new dialysis center in Barangay Poblacion can also cater to non-Oponganons who can no longer be accommodated at the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (DVSMMC).
Vice-President Sara Duterte takes a groufie during the birthday celebration of Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan held at Hoops Dome in Barangay Gun-ob. | Contributed photo
Meanwhile, the city government also partially inaugurated on Friday the new Lapu-Lapu City Public Hospital.
The new hospital can now accommodate 150 patients from the old hospital’s 50-bed capacity.
“Ang atong hospital kaniadto nga pwerte gyud intawng gamaya, karon four storey na,” Chan said.
The partial inauguration of the city hospital was timed with Chan’s celebration of his 55th birthday on Friday.
A gathering was also held at the Hoops Dome in Barangay Gun-ob that was attended by Vice President Sara Duterte, Senator Imee Marcos and Chan’s supporters.
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