Board OKs e-referral reforms

THE Provincial Health Board (PHB) approved the creation of the Cebu Province Health Referral Committee following a six-hour special session Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, focused on improving the province’s electronic referral, or e-referral, system.

In a statement on the Capitol’s Facebook page, health officials presented referral statistics, utilization data and system performance reports, identifying operational gaps, coordination issues and misinformation affecting patient flow.

Mayors and members of the Provincial Board attended the meeting, which aims to strengthen coordination among provincial hospitals and ensure patients are directed to the appropriate level of care. Capitol health consultant Dr. Nikki Catalan said the lengthy discussion reflected the complex work of overhauling the province’s health care system. “Health system reform is not glamorous work.

It is long, technical, sometimes difficult, but absolutely necessary if we want real, lasting improvements in care for every Cebuano,” said Catalan, daughter of Gov. Pamela Baricuatro.

During the session, the PHB members reviewed progress on existing memoranda of agreement, ongoing medical-surgical missions in underserved areas and continued implementation of the Health Facility Development Plan for Capitol-run hospitals.

They also discussed strengthening road safety programs as part of preventive public health efforts. / CDF