I CANNOT blame Mayor Tomas Osmena for blowing his top and threatening to fire some Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) officials when he learned that his policy on accommodating dengue patients was not implemented. He said he has given up on the CCMC and restated his plan to sell the city-run hospital.

While I am still opposed to the plan to sell CCMC to a private entity, this time I am supporting the mayor on the firing of inept and inutile CCMC personnel.

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You don't burn your house because it is infested with mosquitoes. Privatization is not the solution to the woes and problems of that facility. The City Government should instead provide additional financial support to CCMC and install professional people to manage it. The institution is not the problem but the people running it.

Remember Gerry Giuseppe Gatungay, the Don Bosco student who was attacked by gang members in Mambaling in October last year? He died at CCMC allegedly because of the lack of medical intervention by the doctors. Gatungay’s mother, Nerissa, filed a case for gross negligence and professional incompetence against CCMC doctors with the Ombudsman. Until now nothing has been heard of the case.

I am challenging the mayor to make good his threat to fire all CCMC personnel who are remiss in their duties. The hospital chief, Dr. Myrna Go, should be fired first. She is not fit for that position. She even accused city councilors, who grilled her during the Council session, of engaging in politics because election is coming.

The mayor can skirt civil service rules by just reassigning Go to the Guba emergency hospital.

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I received a letter-complaint from a husband whose wife gave birth at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC). This was about the price of an OB Pack Kit. Here's his letter;

“I am John Cruz. I wrote this letter because of what I experienced last July 19 at 4 p.m. That time, I brought my wife to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) as she was about to give birth to our child. An intern prescribed an ‘OB Pack Kit’ and the prescription was signed by a VSMMC doctor (name withheld—Editor). I proceeded to the hospital pharmacy to buy it.

“But I was shocked when I learned that the price of the small pack, which contained two pieces of baby diapers, 3.0 ml lactacyd, adult diaper and baby hand tag, was P1,300. I told the pharmacist that I would rather buy the pack from another drug store. But the pharmacist said the item was exclusively sold at the hospital and on cash basis. I bought the pack.

“Somebody later told me that if a patient refuses to buy the OB Pack Kit at the hospital pharmacy, the attending physician would not also issue clearance to the patient.

“I am exposing this because I suspect overpricing. Malooy sab ta intawon sa uban, Sir, nga mabiktima anang ilang panapi diha.”

I called up VSMMC officials for a reaction. But Dr. Rey Anthony Pardilla, the officer-in-charge, refused to answer the complaint.

I am tempted to say that hospital officials are tolerating this money-making venture of some of their personnel. Walay kalainan gihapon sa CCMC nga dunay daghang manapi bisan libre ang serbisyo.

(bgnalzaro@gmanetwork.com)