Maternity hospital might lose license due to closure

The license to operate of Cebu Puericulture Center and Maternity Hospital Inc. (CPCMHI) might be affected if the hospital will continue with their temporary suspension of operation.

Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH-7) director Jaime Bernadas said that there was  no temporary closure for hospitals.

“Temporary closure is tantamount to closing. It is not a hospital anymore when you only accept outpatients, but a clinic. If it is closed, then their license to operate will be canceled,” Bernadas told Cebu Daily News.

Bernadas also said that hospitals should notify DOH-7 about their plans about the temporary shutdown.

Bernardas said the CPCMHI sent a letter to DOH-7 which was immediately forwarded to the agency’s legal division  yesterday.

Bernadas however declined to discuss  the content of the letter, saying he would let their legal office  study the matter first.

CDN sought the comment of lawyer Cornelio Mercado, chief legal officer of CPCMHI, but he did declined to issue a statement, saying he was in a meeting.

CPCMHI earlier hanged a streamer in front of the hospital  that notified the public about its temporary shut down.

It reads, “Effective January 28, CPCMHI will temporarily cease to operate due to labor problems and an impending strike. We will no longer accept admissions by said date for the safety of our patients and employees.”

The Department of Health might cancel the license to operate of Cebu Puericulture Center and Maternity Hospital Inc. (CPCMHI) because of the facility’s temporary shutdown. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Fundador Alforque, vice president of Cebu Maternity Hospital Employees Union, said they were saddened by the decision of the hospital managementl.

He said they were surprised when the tarpaulin was posted outside the hospital. Despite the ongoing dispute, Alforque said that they still report ed for work.

“We are willing to work.  What the management is doing is not for the patients. They are doing this because we did not agree with the P13 wage increase,” Alforque said in a phone interview.

The labor union asked for a P20 daily wage hike in 2015 and another P25 in 2016.

The management has implemented the P13 daily wage increase effective October 2015.

The Cebu Maternity Hospital Employees Union filed a notice of strike before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) on Jan. 4, 2016. Alforque said they were waiting for the NCMB to schedule another conciliation meeting.

According to CPCMHI, the monthly salary of nurses, midwives and medical technologists ranged from P10,000 to P12,000 while resident physicians received a monthly pay ranging from P9,000 to P10,000.