City legal office okays wheelchair donations

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Legal Office has recommended for the approval of the Memorandum of Agreement to be executed between the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) and the Cebu City government for the donation of medical devices, including wheelchairs.

City legal officer Rey Gealon said these devices are donated by the religious congregation, the Latter-Day Saints (LDS).

“This will partake of a sustainable humanitarian endeavor of both private and public sectors dubbed as the ‘Wheelchair Initiative Project.’ Certainly, the project will benefit our handicapped brethren who cannot afford to buy their own wheelchairs,” said Gealon.

CLO recommended that the City Council pass a resolution authorizing Mayor Edgardo Labella to sign the MOA to this effect.

It was also suggested by CLO that since the mentioned further responsibilities of the city may involve public disbursement, it should coordinate with the local health board to sort out the budgetary allocations needed to maintain the health services within the city.

In the MOA, it was provided that the parties, VSMMC and the city, will keep each other informed of all significant developments regarding the project, including anything that may affect its timing or success, and will hold consultation with LDS when they request for it.

The MOA states that the responsibilities of VSMMC are to provide logistics for the necessary training on assessors, recipient, and others on the use of the devices; record and report each device and corresponding recipient; keep and report recipient testimonials on how the device has created an impact on their lives, among others.

Meanwhile, the responsibilities of the city are to identify and appoint focal person for the project; network with non-government organizations in the city and other private persons/groups in gathering and assessing recipients or facilitating their follow-ups with VSMMC when necessary; initially assess the recipient in terms of appropriateness of the type of device for the recipient, and as to the recipient’s being financially challenged and suitability to use the device; transport the recipient to and from VSMMC when necessary, among others.

The MOA may be renewed after three years and may be terminated by any party at any time within a month’s written notice to the other party. (FREEMAN)