CCMC chief pushes for new equipment

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) director Gloria Duterte wants to improve the services of the 42-year-old city hospital by buying additional medical equipment.

She also wants new airconditioning units installed in some of its wards.

Duterte requested the Cebu City Council through Councilor Lea Japson, head of the Health and Hospital Services committee, to allow her to use P5.4 million from the account of the CCMC Medicare Payment-Trust Fund.

Of the amount, P3.8 million will be spent for the purchase of three ICCU ventilators (MRI Compatible & Transport Ventilator). An MRI ventilator is a gadget designed for use in Magnetic Resonance Imaging and other high magnetic field environments.

Aside from the ventilators, Duterte proposed the purchase of three split-type airconditioning units (P200,000), five floor-mounted airconditioning units (P375,000) and six 2-horse power window-type airconditioning units worth P180,000.

Duterte plans to install these in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Operating Room, Female and Male Medicare units, Pedia ward, Dietary section and in other hospital wards.

While the CCMC services is usually free, those who choose to be confined in medicare wards have to pay meager fees.

Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, head of the City Council’s committee on budget and finance, said they don’t object to the planned purchases and to charge them against the trust funds, but they want Duterte to submit first an inventory of all CCMC equipment.

Duterte earlier told The Freeman that she will ask a bigger budget for the hospital for next year amounting to more than P500 million to improve the services of CCMC.

She has recommended that the P80 million budget would be retained only for the purchase of drugs and medicines.  (FREEMAN)