P 72 M NEW FACILITIES
What’s new in the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center? A lab building and perinatal complex, renovated out-patient unit New buildings make VSMMC “a model medical institution in the Visayas,” says Health Secretary Ubial during the inauguration
Lab building costs P45M, while OPD needed P45M, says VSMMC chief
Three structures of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), namely, the new laboratory building, peri-natal complex and the newly-renovated Out-Patient Department (OPD), were inaugurated over the weekend.
Dr. Gerardo Aquino, VSMMC chief of hospital, told Sunstar Cebu that the project cost of the new laboratory building was P45 million while the OPD needed P27 million. Both funds were provided by the Department of Health (DOH).
Aquino said he does not know the cost of the peri-natal complex because this was donated by the Matias H. Aznar Memorial (MHAM) Medical College, which hired its own contractor.
Aquino said that the public, either sick or healthy, may avail themselves of the services of the new facilities. The healthy people can seek wellness services to avoid illness.
“The health agenda may be attained through financial risk protection, ensuring best health outcome for all Filipinos and responsiveness regardless of the socio-economic status, culture, origin and gender,” Aquino said.
Aquino also said that VSMMC took an effort to strengthen the referral mechanism and linkages through holding a forum on referral system every quarter to address overcrowding in the hospital.
DOH Secretary Dr. Paulyn Jean B. Rossel-Ubial said in her speech that VSMMC is now a model medical institution in the Visayas because of the new facilities.
Ubial said this is in line with the Philippine Health Agenda tagline: “All for health towards health for all.”
Ubial said the primary aim of the health agenda is the attainment of health-related sustainable development goals.
The others who attended the inauguration were DOH Assistant Sec. Leonita Gorgolon, Presidential Assistant Michael Lloyd Dino, Rep. Raul V. Del Mar (Cebu City North), Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu 4th District) and DOH 7 Director Jaime Bernadas among others.
Salimbangon yesterday said the Bantayan District Hospital in the Municipality of Bantayan will be upgraded from 20 to 50 hospital beds with new facilities.
Salimbangon thanked the DOH for giving the go-signal for the district hospital to tie-up with VSMMC to improve the services.
He said that once the district hospital facilities will be improved and the hospital personnel will increase and well-trained, the ailing persons can be treated immediately without referring them to the better equipped hospitals in Cebu City.
“I heard oftentimes that sick persons died on the way to a Cebu City hospital because of a long trip and they never received an immediate medical attention,” Salimbangon said.
Dino, on the other hand, said that he will recommend for funds for VSMMC to make it more conducive as a regional hospital.
“I’ve noticed that VSMMC has even paintings on the wall and air-conditioned rooms,” Dino said.
On the other hand, Del Mar said that records show that he allocated huge projects for VSMMC especially that this is a hospital of all people.
“When it was a 400-bed capacity, I increased it to 800. When the need arise, I increased it to 1,200-bed capacity. I also increased the number of personnel to served all the patients,” Del Mar said. /
Bantayan District Hospital will also be upgraded from a 20- to 50-bed facility.