Construction of VSMMC's pedia bldg starts next month

CEBU, Philippines - The construction of the P28-million pediatric building of the vicinity of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center will start next month. The building expected to be finished early next year.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said the construction of the new pediatric building was supposedly to start last year but they encountered some problems, which they already addressed now.

The funding for the project was taken from Zubiri’s Priority Development Assistance Fund because he believes that it is needed now in Cebu and other parts of Visayas and even Mindanao.

VSMMC is considered a regional hospital as it caters not only to patients from Cebu but other provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao as well.

The senator said when he visited VSMMC last year, he was saddened by the difficult situation of the children admitted at the hospital because they were just placed at the basement.

“Grabe gayud kaayo ka lisud sa atong mga kabataan nga madala sa tambalanan, mao nga naningkamot gayud kita nga makatukod kita og bag-ong edepisyo,” the solon from Bukidnon province said.

First phase of the new pediatric building, which will receive some P28 million from Zubiri’s PDAF, shall feature 100 rooms and intensive care units as well as offices.

For its second phase, Zubiri has pledged equipment meant to further improve VSMMC’s services.

The senator signed a memorandum of agreement along with VSMMC Director, Dr. Gerardo Aquino and Mr. Benedict Uy of the Rotary Club of Cebu Port Center, the group that approached Zubiri and asked his help for another pediatric building for the hospital.

Zubiri recalled that allocating funds from his PDAF was brought up when the organization’s former President, Roderick Poca, discussed with him the need for a new pediatric building for the VSMMC as the hospital’s current pediatric ward is very crowded because of the increasing number of patients.

“VSMMC caters to mostly poor patients in the Visayas and even some areas in Mindanao so with the construction of this new facility the hospital will be able to serve more patients specially the young ones,” Zubiri said.

During the Rotary’s district conference last year with Zubiri as one of the guest speakers, Poca mentioned the same urgency for a new pediatric building as the current facility is crowded, with sometimes three patients sharing the same bed.

On the other hand, Dr. Aquino lauded the efforts of the Rotary and immediate action by Zubiri because realization of the project will allow VSMMC to cater to more patients especially those from the depressed sector.

Aquino said the new building will enable the hospital to expand its services to the public and may also enable them to elevate the facility’s status to a premiere tertiary hospital. — (FREEMAN)