Capitol eyes outsourcing of personnel for VSMMC

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said Capitol is going to outsource employees to be deployed at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in relation to its planned takeover on the institution's primary and secondary services.

The governor yesterday revealed a glimpse of what policies she is going to implement at the hospital once the proposed takeover will be in place.

As she is intent not to absorb any of the existing VSMMC employees, the governor said they can choose to stay with the national government but that she has her own plan in mind on how to go about with the implementation of the planned takeover on primary and secondary services.

When asked if she would be hiring new employees to be detailed at the hospital, she only said, "Watch me. Naa ko'y idea. Unya na lang. (It's going to be) combination..."

At present, the Capitol is outsourcing medical personnel assigned at 18 district hospitals.

She said that while the province is going to foot the bill for the maintenance and operating expenses as well as the Capital outlay with regards to the provision of primary and secondary services, it will not however confront matters in relation to personnel services as it would not absorb any of the existing VSMMC employees.

The governor had a meeting yesterday morning with Provincial Board member Agnes Magpale, who she has tasked to help her on how to go about with the proposal, along with Provincial Health officer Cristina Giango.

Also present in the said meeting were VSMMC chief Dr. Filomena delos Santos and some representatives from the Department of Health.

The DOH is now on the process of laying out the details of its proposal for the Province of Cebu to take over in the primary and secondary services of the hospital so that their department will only take care of the tertiary services, as was mandated in the Local Government Code.

This mandate was again pointed out by President Arroyo to Health Secretary Francisco Duque during a joint meeting with Cabinet members and the Regional Development Council here in Cebu last July 7. - Cristina C. Birondo/MEEV