CCMC contractor gets ultimatum

CEBU, Philippines — Acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has given the contractor for the construction of the new Cebu City Medical Center building until Monday to make the first three floors operational or risk getting its contract terminated.

Rama visited CCMC yesterday and gave his marching order not only to the CCMC contractor but also to the managers of the hospital.

“Trabahuon nila. I have talked to the contractor. They have to do their job or I will have their contract terminated,” said Rama.

“I'm very serious. We mean business. We walk the talk,” he added.

Based on previous reports, the contractors of the new CCMC building are C.E. Padilla Construction Inc. and C.B. Garay Philwide Builders.

Once turned over, the patients and operations in the old CCMC at the City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) will be transferred to the new building.

However, the COVID-related ones will remain in the old CCMC building, especially that they have expanded again their COVID dedicated wards.

CCMC administrator Yvonne Cania said the hospital is ready to respond to Rama's challenge.

“Niingon ang mga contractor nga they are trying their best nga by next week mahuman nagyud nila... Sa among side ready nami. Nagpaabot lang mi sa turnover sa DEPW (Department of Engineering and Public Works), the contractor kung ma ready na gyud ang atong building,” said Cania.

Occupancy

To meet the rise in demand for hospital services due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, CCMC has also expanded its facility.

“In response sa increasing COVID cases, again we expand our facility. We convert again another ward into COVID isolation wards which can cater 14 more patients," said CCMC medical director Dr. Anton Oliver Reposar II.

As of now, CCMC is down to its last two available beds. It is currently catering to almost 30 patients with severe to critical condition.

“Usually ani nila... ubos na kayna sila og mga oxygen saturation sa ilang lawas... Unya some of them naa say mga grabi nga comorbidities, in line pa gyud sa ilang existing nga COVID [symptoms],” said Reposar.

Reposar shared that most of these patients are unvaccinated and in ages 50s to 60s.

He shared that they are following the standard system in order to avoid queuing or long line of patients waiting to be admitted.

“Ang atong system man gud diri nga pagsulod nila sa hospital, ato silang i-assess, unya og naa silay COVID symptoms ato silang ibutang sa holding area while waiting for the result sa PCR test,” said Reposar.

It usually takes two days for the PCR test result to come out.

“Once mag positive sila atong i-transfer sa isolation ward. Kung negative, atong isulod sa atong pulmonary ward nga non-COVID,” Reposar continued.

As for the intervention on severe to critical cases, Reposar shared that instead of intubating the patients, they are using a High Nasal Cannula (HFNC) which can give more oxygen than the usual cannula.

Also, Cania and Reposar assured that CCMC has sufficient supply of oxygen.

The only problem is the delay in deliveries as their supplier is scrambling to cater the increasing demand.

“So nag-contact mi sa GSO (General Services Office), ni-borrow mi nila og truck. Kami mismo ang niadto sa planta nila sa San Fernando. Didto mismo gikuha namo together sa among utilities, sa among Property Head,” said Cania.

Rotational

Cania shared that their healthcare workers are divided into three groups who report on a rotational scheme. One group reports for the week and another reports the next and so on.

Each group consists of a doctor, a nurse, a nursing aid, medtech and utility worker.

“Ang kaning Team A karon nga week, after mo-rest na sila, mopuli ang Team B. Ing-ana ilang rotation para at least ma-quarantine sila, makapahuway sila. After Team B, mopuli na pud ang Team C. So ig human ana, rotation na pud sila,” said Cania.

These healthcare workers will undergo swab test every after one-week duty, and will proceed to their dormitory in CCQC since they are currently prohibited from returning to their homes as part of precautionary measures.

Both CCMC and CCQC have no COVID-positive healthcare workers at the moment.

But the main problem is the lack of personnel, which hospital officials hope will be resolved soon.

“We have to augment, we have hire more. Unlike before nga wala pa ni-surge og balik ang COVID, kaya-kaya pa. For example, before we had 30 to 50 patients. As of now, naa nami sa mga 120 plus patients,” said Reposar. — Dianah Rule Salinguhay, CNU Intern, JMD (FREEMAN)