Thursday, August 09, 2007 VSMMC offers free services, keeps mum on audit mess
THE Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) is celebrating hospital week with free services, but the agency remains silent on allegations of ghost purchases using government funds and pork barrel.
VSMMC joined other government hospitals in the country in celebrating the National Hospital Week, launched last Monday.
A holy mass commenced the event attended by representatives of local government units (LGUs), Cebu City Medical Center and some private hospitals.
Acting Medical Director Dr. Roque Anthony Paradela said that VSMMC has developed camaraderie with other hospitals after bonding together in preparation for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit last January.
Hospitals have scheduled a quarterly meeting that also discussed the waste management problem and dengue during the rainy season.
The hospital week, slated to end on Saturday, carries the theme, “Hospital na maasahan, fourmula nang kalusugan.”
“Fourmula” is the brainchild of Health Sec. Francisco Duque, which refers to healthcare financing, health regulation, health service delivery and governance.
The hospital week provides free services from last Aug. 6 to Aug. 11.
Free services
One of those free services is the free anal operation like removal of hemorrhoids. The first leg of the operation was last Tuesday where 10 people benefited from it. There is a second leg of free anal procedures today.
Yesterday, VSMMC also gave 30 pairs of artificial legs and had free cataract consultations.
For the entire hospital week, there will be free laboratory procedures and free hepatitis immunization for pediatrics.
There are also daily lectures with topics ranging from menopausal, tuberculosis and bio-ethics.
Tomorrow, there will be free orthopedic operations and a lecture on breastfeeding.
Sen. Pia Cayetano, a stalwart supporter of breastfeeding, will be at the VSMMC. She will also be on-hand for the blessing of the obstetrics (OB) Pavilion.
The OB pavilion is meant to decongest the current OB ward that has 38 beds but with more than 100 patients, explained Paradela.
Paradela toured Sun.Star Cebu to the two-story pavilion that has three private rooms, a bigger delivery room, an operating room, breastfeeding room, nursery and others.
Also on Friday, the first VSMMC collective negotiating agreement (CNA) with the employees will be signed. (JGA)
