New CCMC set to open today

CEBU, Philippines —  The new Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) is set to finally open to the public today, five years after its construction.

But only the first three floors of the 10-storey hospital building will be operational. The first three floors house the wards, the emergency department and other units.

The FREEMAN tried to reach Mayor Edgardo Labella, CCMC administrator Yvonne Cania and city engineer Lowell Corminal for the latest development, but to no avail.

However, City Health Department’s officer-in-charge Dr. Jeffrey Ibones said he is clueless about today’s opening.

He said he has not been updated on the development of the CMMC nor has he received any invitation for today’s event.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama, chairman of the City Council’s committee on health, also echoed Dr.Ibones’ response, saying he has no updates yet on CCMC’s ceremonial opening.

Councilor Jerry Guardo, who also sits as chairman of the council’s committee on infrastructure, expressed doubts that today’s opening will push through.

He said the first three floors have yet no partitions and finishing touches.

Yesterday, the city’s CCDRRMO Special Rescue Squad had helped in clearing the construction debris outside the new hospital.

While the operations of the three floors begin, Labella earlier said the construction for the remaining seven floors would also continue.

Guardo said the city government allotted P500 million for the completion of the remaining floors. The project is set for bidding.

The city government targets to finish the remaining floors by next year.

The mayor previously promised to partially open the hospital last year, but was moved earlier this year. But still did not push through as the city had to shift focus on the prevention and control of COVID-19.

The city government started constructing the new CCMC in 2015 during the administration of Rama when he was still mayor.

In 2014, Rama ordered the demolition of the old CCMC building after it was declared unsafe following the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu and Bohol in October 2013.

Rama was defeated in the 2016 mayoralty race by Tomas Osmeña, who had also failed to complete the building before he lost to Labella in the 2019 elections. — KQD (FREEMAN)