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Sunday, January 05, 2003
Clubs renovate CCMC ward
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
DESPITE the negative publicity against the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), a civic organization pursued its P200,000 project to improve the hospital’s obstetrics ward.
During yesterday’s soft opening of the newly renovated obstetrics ward, members of the Rotary Clubs of Metro Cebu and Long Meadows, California USA even promised to extend more assistance to the hospital, including the procurement of equipment.
Lucy Longden, the organization’s secretary, said the “horrific conditions” of the ward pushed them to do something.
Apart from the sight of three mothers sharing a bed in the labor room, women and babies cramped in beds in the congested ward, which had poor hygienic condition and ventilation, were too difficult to ignore, she said.
The ward, which used to have 26 beds, is now more spacious. It now has wall fans and 37 new beds imported from Australia.
The delivery room has three new delivery tables, operating lights and sterilizing trays.
The labor room is now air-conditioned with new upholstered pelvic exam beds.
With the improvements, it will be more difficult to close it (CCMC) now,” said former Rotary Metro Cebu president and CCMC consultant in neuro-surgery Wyben Briones, as hospital personnel present in yesterday’s activity clapped.
Dr. Lydia Salarda, CCMC officer-in-charge, even tried to fight back tears when she thanked the organization, especially Longden, for their help.
This will go a long way to the hearts of the indigent patients in the community. With this, we will never get discouraged with the negative publicity the hospital got into,” she said in her message of thanks.
An average of 22 babies is delivered daily in the CCMC obstetric ward, which was renovated starting the first week of December.
The improvements, though, covered only the first stage of the project since the delivery room and labor room will also be renovated within the next two to three weeks.
A brand-new incubator will also be added to its two existing units.
Members of the organization first saw the state of CCMC when they held the “Millennium Baby” contest in January 2000. They visited the hospital to give college scholarship grants to the first male and female babies delivered during the said year.
That really moved us to do something (for this hospital),” Briones said.
Following the “enthusiasm of the community” to help, CCMC management team head Rodolfo Bigornia is hopeful that the mayor will reconsider his decision to close down the 41-year-old hospital by June.
Osmeña, who criticized the hospital for inefficiency, formed the team to try to improve hospital services in six months.
Instead of “putting down” the hospital staff, Longden said, City officials must “look at the bigger picture” and help solve the problems.
While there may be some inefficient personnel there, we must not also ignore those who are working, she said.
As part of preparations for the possible closure of the hospital, City Administrator Paul Villarete already issued a memorandum asking for an inventory of all the physical assets of the hospital and a computation of the leave credits of all employees.
Salarda assured that they will comply with the memorandum by the end of this month.
But even with the planned closure, Salarda confirmed that the management team saw the need to hire doctors for the hospital’s department of internal medicine and technicians for the organ imaging department.
Aside from hiring new doctors, some administrative personnel will be transferred to other offices to evenly distribute existing hospital staff and ensure efficient service in all the departments.
Bigornia said there will always be hope that CCMC will improve in the next few months to serve the indigent constituents, which comprise about 35 percent of the city’s over P700,000 population.
(January 5, 2003 issue)
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