Sunday, September 14, 2008 Luab: CCMC and the very poor By Evelyn R. Luab light sunday
NORMALLY, I keep my mouth shut when it comes to big issues like the possibility of Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) being sold. There are more than enough people already speaking their minds.
However, because I did volunteer work at the pediatric ward from 1991 up to the time my husband had a stroke in August of 2001, I feel that I have to speak for the very, very poor in our society.
I know that even domestic helpers who have problems with their teeth, go to CCMC. When women from depressed areas give birth, they go to CCMC. When infants get sick their parents take them to CCMC and so forth and so on. The alternative plans of more health centers and more health cards sound laudable. However, there are advantages which the very poor will miss.
Let me just concentrate on the pediatric ward. There were quite a number of volunteer workers who brought free medicine and cash.
We would go to each bed, try to help the patient with the needed laboratory fees and with the needed medicine.
The funding came from St. Theresa’s College funds then, but each volunteer brought her own contribution because medicine and money were never enough and we could not bear to leave when a dying baby needed us.
We even had to help many times in the burial of the little ones. Many times, parents would bring their patients late to the hospital due to monetary difficulties.
There were many times that volunteers had to look for blood because the parents really could not solve this problem anymore. There are really a thousand and one things that doctors and residents can do in a hospital like CCMC to alleviate not only illness and pain but also the anxiety of the relatives of patients.
There is no doubt, however, that there is so much that needs to be done to make CCMC the kind of hospital that the city needs. I agree with our good mayor that the problem seems so nakakasuya na (it’sickening). However, sickening as it may be, the very poor need a place to go to, where lives may still be saved, where hope is fed.
I guess it’s the mom in me that speaks for the infants who will be left out in health centers where beds are few and doctors are scarce. Even in CCMC where the rooms are large, patients overflow in corridors. The poor are so penniless and yet many times they know how to empathize with a fellow parent. They can share antibiotic injectibles and wait for the next supply even if it takes hours.
We’ve seen babies of Muslim beggars admitted at the pediatric ward. Oh yes, I’ve seen how unsanitary conditions can become but when one is at its wits end because of a very high fever or a baby wailing in pain, one just has no other recourse.
There were two very good resident doctors during my time who not only gave of their time but also managed to give all their samples (i.e. medicine given by pharmaceutical companies) to their patients.
One is now a practicing private physician in Naga City. I remember seeing her take off her white garb and give of her blood just so a baby could be saved. There are a lot of callous individuals whom I did meet, but I also saw dedicated medical residents.
Taking care of my husband from 2001 up to 2006 took me away from volunteer work in CCMC. Because of our being in and out of private hospitals no less than six times, I saw that there are also ills in private hospitals which need to be answered.
I really do agree that it will take a Goliath to tackle the problems which beset CCMC. Perhaps one wealthy young doctor whose ideals are still intact may be found to handle the reins? Why wealthy?
So money would not be a priority and neither would he be afraid of anyone. Someone like Dr. Juan Flavier, only 50 years younger! I pray CCMC will remain open to the poor.
