Bantayan Island LGUs commit P3.5 million for district hospital, lessen referrals to Cebu City

Move is to protect constituents from possible exposure to coronavirus when going to Cebu City

Bantayan District Hospital

CEBU CITY, Philippines — To prevent their locals from having to go to Cebu City when they need medical attention, the towns of Bantayan, Santa Fe, and Madridejos in Bantayan Island committed to put up funds to maximize the lone district hospital in the island.

During an Inter Health Zone meeting on Monday morning, May 11, 2020, Bantayan town committed P1.5 million while Santa Fe and Madridejos pledged P1 million each to acquire needed hospital and personnel to further capacitate the 25-bed hospital the services the island.

Mayor Arthur Despi of Bantayan Island said the move was to protect their constituents from possible exposure to the coronavirus infection when they go to the Cebu City, where cases of coronavirus infection continue to increase, to seek medical attention.

Despi admitted their worries that their patients might contract the virus if they get referred further to facilities in Metro Cebu, especially the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) since the latter is considered as a COVID-19 referral center.

At present, the towns of Bantayan and Madridejos each have one COVID-19 cases, both admitted at the VSMMC.

“There is a very high possibility tungod kay ang mga facility sa COVID-19 naa man sa Sotto, wala gyuy 101 assurance nga walay contamination somewhere, anywhere inside the compound,” the mayor told CDN Digital.

Despi explained that they arrived with the suspicion after all the close contacts of their COVID-19 patients in Bantayan town all tested negative for the infection.

“There is a very big possibility nga among mga pasyente, lahi ang pamatyag sa paglarga diri sa Bantayan unya pag-abot diha ma-infected or whatever. Normal man na sa hospital. Those are medical situations,” he said.

According to Despi, the Bantayan District Hospital, being a level 1 facility, lacks surgeons, OB-Gyne, and specialists.

“Mao ni ang mga kaso nga dili ma-handle sa among first level nga hospital. Wa mi OB, wa mi internist, wa mi cardio, the usual practice, referral, referral referral,” Despi said.

For medical operations that cannot be conducted in the district hospital, Despi said they also agreed to coordinate with and help the Provincial Hospital in Bogo City so their constituents will no longer have to be referred further to Vicente Sotto Memorial Hospital in Cebu City.

Despi said the amount that the three LGUs pledged will be mainly used for professional fees and minor equipment needed in both the district hospital and the provincial hospital in Bogo City.

“Kung makaya ra diha sa Bogo, diha na lang sa Bogo. Di na lang mi mo-entra sa kapuno sa Sotto,” Despi said.

READ: Capitol plans to upgrade Bantayan District Hospital’s capacity to 100 beds

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Cebu provincial government promised to increase the capacity of the Bantayan District Hospital to 100 beds, which in turn will also capacitate it to perform more operations.

However, Despi said the plan has not been carried out yet due to long process and the concentrated efforts in responding to the COVID-19 situation in Cebu. /bmjo