Sans occupancy permit: CCMC inaugurated

CEBU, Philippines — The new building of the Cebu City Medical Center was inaugurated partially yesterday, December 28, even without inspection by the Office of the Building Official (OBO).

Architect Florante Catalan, the head of OBO, told The Freeman in an interview Monday that his office is yet to check whether or not the building is ready for occupancy.

“If, after inspection, tan-aw nato pwede na siya gamiton, makahatag ra ta anang partial occupancy (permit),” Catalan said.

(After inspection, if we see it can already be used, we can give a partial occupancy permit.)

Catalan also said that giving a go signal on the operation of the first three floors of the hospital, as well as the continuation of work on the remaining seven floors, will depend on the recommendation of the city engineers and architects.

“Dili pa ko kasulti kung dangerous ba kay wala pa may naka-report, wala pa may inspection,” he said yesterday.

(I cannot say that it will be dangerous because no one has submitted a report yet; there is no inspection yet.)

The first three floors of the hospital will house the wards, emergency department, and other units.          

Councilor Jerry Guardo, head of the Council’s committee on infrastructure, 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.

Mayor Edgardo Labella said the developments at the hospital will be done gradually.

“This will be gradual. By a few weeks, ang atong mga wards, emergency... gradual, but at least we have made a good start,” Labella said.

Labella said the city aims to complete the 10-story building in 18 months. This is why he needs the support of the City Council as the city would still need P1.3 billion to finish the construction.

When Labella assumed the mayorship in 2016, the city has spent P566 million for Phase 1 of construction, P300 for Phase 2, and P100 for Phase 3.

The contractors of the project are CE Padilla, BF Garay Construction, and Charlz Construction.

Mayor Edgardo Labella promised to open the hospital last year but this did not push through. The hospital was supposed to open in early 2020 but this was cancelled yet again after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

It was Vice Mayor Michael Rama who was mayor in 2014 who ordered the old CCMC building demolished after it incurred massive damage during the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Central Visayas in 2013. Construction of the new CCMC building began in 2015.

But Rama, the current chairman of the City Council’s committee on health, also expressed opposition to the first three floors operating earlier, saying continued construction work might cause harm to those who will be occupying the first three floors.

During the inauguration yesterday, he said, “There is always such a thing as light at the end of the tunnel. We started to have the light but we need to be much illuminated, it's better to have that initialized... The opening, definitely, will bring there's more to come.”

Services

The Outpatient Department at the new building will be the first to become operational.

CCMC Administrator Yvonne Cania said the inauguration yesterday signaled a new dawn for those who have been waiting patiently for the new building.

Cania said the OPD is spacious so that COVID-19 safety protocols will be observed strictly. An average of 250 to 300 patients a day can be accommodated in the department.

After the OPD, the operation of the Imaging Department will be the next target.

Labella said debris catchers that will be positioned in strategic areas to ensure the safety of those working in the first three floors of the hospital while construction continues in the upper floors.

There will also be a separate entrance of CCMC employees and construction workers.

Traffic

Meanwhile, heavy traffic was observed in major roads in Cebu City Monday, particularly in the south, because portions of N. Bacalso Avenue and Panganiban Street had to be closed down hours before the hospital’s opening.

Alma Fe Casimero, head of the city’s transportation office, the roads were closed off since Saturday as the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Special Rescue Squad, together with other departments, had to clear construction debris outside the building. — Mary Ruth R. Malinao, JMO (FREEMAN)