THE Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital (CDUH) opened last Saturday a floor with 17 new “hotel-like” luxury suites to cater to the growing demand for more comfortable hospital accommodation.

The new facility, located at the CDUH building on Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City, is equipped with spacious rooms and a full-time concierge service.

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The 17 new suites augment the hospital’s eight existing standard suites.

“Local and foreign patients (came) and ask why we only have few suite rooms. This floor is dedicated (to them) as we continue to provide quality medical service,” said CDUH president Dr. Potenciano Larrazabal Jr., who estimated the
investment for the facility to be about P30 million.

He said the demand for more hospital suites come from local company executives and foreign nationals, like Europeans and Americans.

Medical tourism

“We are also into medical tourism. A month ago, we showed travel agents our facilities and they were (so) impressed that they are looking forward to sending medical travelers here,” he added.

He said that once the luxury suites gain substantial market response, CDUH will put up specialized services in other areas of the hospital.

In a separate interview, CDUH administrator Oscar Tuason said that more people, even locals, prefer comfortable hospital rooms for their family members, friends and visitors.

Up until last year, the hospital has been accommodating an average of 30 medical tourists a month. Since January, it recorded more than 40 foreign travelers a month.

“Foreigners have higher set of demands in terms of accommodation. Here, we are combining luxury accommodation with high quality health care service and patient security and safety,” Tuason said, adding that the luxury suites manifest the growing medical tourism industry in Cebu.

The construction of the new suites in the area that used to house resident doctors’ quarters and department offices started four months ago.

Tuason said the daily rate of a luxury suite is up to P3,850, which includes concierge service, change of pillows, IV insertion and nursing care, among others. The CDUH standard suite rate is about P3,100 a day.

“For the luxury suites, we will assign long-tenured nurses who are the most courteous, most outgoing, most friendly and most compassionate…while) concierge service staff are hotel and restaurant management graduates with experience in (big) resort hotels. This means that our customers will be pampered and served to the fullest,” he said.

“We also have in mind to build a VIP suite, our top-of-the-line accommodation that is double the size of our luxury suite with amenities like a separate dining area. But this only depends on how our customers respond and utilize our luxury suites,” Tuason said.