Cebu Doc has ‘no BFP clearance’

CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Fire Protection has noted lapses and violations of Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital after the fire that gutted its linen department Tuesday night.

Cebu City Fire Marshall Rogelio Bongabong Jr. said they found out that CDUH has been operating for almost a year without a BFP clearance.

He said the clearance is a requirement before an establishment could be given a business permit from the Cebu City Hall and accreditation by the Department of Health.

“Ang Cebu Doc, wala naisyuhan og clearance kay wala gi-comply ang sprinkler ug automatic suppression system, exhaust fan. Requirements na sa renewal sa business permit, dili sad mahatagan og accreditation sa Department of Health, karon (tuiga) wala ko mohatag og clearance kay wala maka-comply,” Bongabong said.

He said CDUH should comply with the requirements; else, the BFP would have to endorse the problem to higher authorities.

He said he will monitor if CDUH will comply with the BFP requirements, but added that his office cannot anymore give the hospital a clearance for this year.

The City Fire Marshall said they estimated the initial structural damage caused by the fire to be around P100,000.

In a separate interview, CDUH administrator Oscar Tuazon the hospital has a fire certificate, but added that he had to validate the installation of the required systems with their electrical engineer.

Tuazon, though, said it is the exit ramp that they are constructing first.

 “Inuna pa namin ang installation ng exit ramp, which is ongoing as of now. The proposal for the sprinkler system will then follow. We gave them (BFP) a timetable when we would install the sprinkler system. It will take time,” he told The FREEMAN.

Tuason said he was not aware of the BFP findings that the hospital has committed lapses and violations in complying with the BFP requirements.

“I will check on that,” he said, adding that he will clarify the matter today.

In a press statement, CDUH assured that “all our patients have been accounted for and we are currently assessing the situation while making the necessary repairs to restore the hospital operations as soon as possible.”

“The doctors’ offices at the Medical Arts Building 2 will continue to be open for patient consultation. The Out-Patient Pharmacy, Laboratory, X-ray, Ultrasound and Minor OR services are available to serve the public,” it added.

Tuazon said they aim to have the hospital, especially the emergency room, fully operational by Monday, adding that engineers have brought back power “one floor at a time.”

He said electricity in the annex building is back since it was not affected by the fire.

“It’s not that easy to restore power because we have to make sure that all our wirings are intact,” he said, adding that the electrical wiring’s junction boxes also got wet they have to dry them up aside from replacing the wires that caught fire.

The fire department received the alarm at 8:11 p.m. and declared the blaze under control at 8:39 p.m.  The last ember, however, was extinguished only at 11: 49 p.m.

Bongabong said that when firefighters arrived at the hospital, the linen department located at the basement was already engulfed in flames, which minutes later spread to the basement, where the generator system was located.

He said the generator system exploded and its fuel produced thick smoke, which made it difficult for them to penetrate the fire scene because of the lack of self-contained breathing apparatus.

“Nakagrabe sa aso ang krudo, daghang mga wires, rubber man gyud na usa sad sa nakapaitom sa aso kuwang ang breathing apparatus para makaatraka ta kung aso kaayo. Wa ta kahibawo naay mga poisonous chemicals diha,” he said.

At City Hall, Mayor Michael Rama said yesterday part of the P18.9 billion budget he proposed for 2015 is meant to acquire firefighting equipment so the city’s firemen could better respond to calls for help.

“I included all those ladders, mask equipment…kanang uniform that will have to be available for our firemen,” he said.

Rama said almost P200 million of the total budget was allotted for firefighting concerns.

He also said he is planning to add more fire stations in the city after the annual budget is approved by the City Council.

Bongabong said investigators led by Senior Fire Officer 2 Leo Magallon were still conducting a deeper investigation as to where the fire originated.

He said they received initial information that a construction worker was using a welding machine near the linen department and that sparks might have landed on a piece of linen, which caught fire and started the blaze.

“Atong giimbistiga kung sa linen o sa gen set nagsugod.  Way tawo ang linen department atong orasa. Naay mga witness atong orasa nakit-an nila ang nagwelding,” Bongabong said.

Tuazon also said that the wires did not trigger the fire and that their investigation as to how the fire started is still ongoing.

He said that since the annex building was not damaged, the hospital could still offer X-ray and laboratory services. They would also be transferring an ultrasound machine there so they can also offer the said service.

CDUH can likewise still provide basic services, consultations and out-patient services since the clinics are open.

What the hospital cannot offer, Tuazon said, are CT scans and MRIs since the machines are in the affected building.

He expressed gratitude that the other hospitals took in their patients, as well as the firemen, local government units, and CDUH staff, who assisted.

Five CDUH patients are now at the South General Hospital, another five at the North General Hospital, and two at the Mactan Doctor’s Hospital. The rest of the patients were taken in by Chong Hua Hospital, Perpetual Succor Hospital, Velez Hospital, and Visayas Community Hospital.

Tuazon said the patients would process their discharge papers if they already need to go home in the said hospitals since “it wouldn’t make sense” if they still would go to CDUH. —  Bryner L. Diaz,  Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento,  AJ de la Torre-Orong/RHM 

But he said that for the patients who would want to retrieve their personal belongings, CDUH has secured them and that their families could go to the hospital or call 2555555 to claim them.

As to the cleanup after the fire, Tuazon said some hospital employees were utilized to clean and reorganize the scene while some others were given the chance to take a leave.

He thanked the hospitals’ workers for doing “an excellent job in evacuating patients” and securing their belongings.

Tuazon said their quarterly fire drills helped in preparing their employees.—(FREEMAN)