Durano: 16 hospitals to receive P5M each for meds, equipment

THE Cebu Provincial Government will immediately release P80 million to its 16 hospitals across the province. This initiative, part of short-, medium- and long-term solutions, was discussed during a meeting at the Capitol on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.

Provincial Administrator Joseph “Ace” Durano, in an interview on Wednesday, revealed the immediate plan to disburse P5 million to each of the 12 district and four provincial hospitals, totaling P80 million. 

Durano said Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has already issued a memorandum for the swift release of these funds, aiming for next week, to cover essential medicines and equipment. This would be a short-term solution by the new administration.

When questioned why the administration of former governor Gwendolyn Garcia had not released these funds, Durano declined to comment, emphasizing the current administration’s focus on moving forward. He assured that if the P5 million proves insufficient for the remaining five months of the year, the Provincial Government is prepared to replenish the funds.

Medium-term solution

For the medium term, Durano outlined plans to upgrade existing hospitals, turning Level 1 hospitals into Level 2 facilities, and converting infirmaries, which currently only provide basic health services while excluding basic operations, into Level 1 hospitals.

Durano said that the long-term vision involves transforming Level 2 hospitals into apex hospitals, aiming to decentralize specialized medical care currently concentrated at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, Cebu’s sole apex hospital, also known as an end-referral hospital that receives patients who require advanced or specialized care that cannot be managed at lower-level facilities.

“Ma-spread na gyud siya. Dili na kinahanglan moanhi sa (The patients will be really spread. There is no longer a need for them to come to) Vicente Sotto,” Durano said. 

According to the Department of Health (DOH), Level 1 hospitals provide emergency care, general medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, non-surgical gynecology and minor surgery. They also offer outpatient and ancillary services like clinical laboratory, imaging and pharmacy. Level 2 hospitals include all Level 1 capabilities plus more complex clinical care and management, including surgery and anesthesia, and intermediate to moderate nursing care for 24 hours or longer.

Hospital personnel

Regarding hospital personnel, Durano said the DOH 7 suggested filling vacant plantilla positions to meet the requirements for Level 1 hospital accreditation, a matter currently under review.

Elisse Nicole Catalan, Governor Baricuatro’s daughter and consultant on public health, confirmed that the provincial and district hospital heads were “happy” and receptive during their courtesy meeting. She reiterated that the “common denominator” and consistent feedback from the hospitals were the critical shortages of supplies and medical personnel.

Catalan announced that within three weeks, DOH will provide assessment reports for each hospital, which will “help guide to strategize properly for a detailed direction.” She expressed optimism that the public would already “feel changes of the provincial hospitals” in a few weeks, signaling a new era that prioritizes healthcare.

Nelner Omus, officer-in-charge of DOH 7’s Local Health Support Division, praised the new administration for being “very open to suggestions.” Omus pledged DOH’s full support in terms of technical assistance and infrastructure projects to the Provincial Government.

“Ang Probinsya karon, very open sa suggestions…siguro, with the collaboration with each other, hopefully, we’ll be really giving what is due sa atoang (The Province now is very open to suggestions…surely, with the collaboration with each other, hopefully, we’ll be really giving what is due to our) constituents,” Omus said. / JPS