Guba Hospital gets P1.7M X-ray unit

Residents of Cebu City's upland barangays will no longer have to travel to the city center to undergo Xray screenings and other laboratory procedures.

The 60-year-old Edita Baga, a resident of Barangay Guba, was the first patient to avail of the X-ray test, which cost her P170 only.

"Nalipay ko kay naa'y X-ray diri kay sauna, magmotor ko padung sa North General Hospital. Karon, malakaw nalang sa among balay," said Baga, who has been suffering from a non-stop cough.

For the first time since 1972, the Guba Community Center, a satellite hospital of the Cebu City Medical Center, is now capable of conducting an X-ray test.

Patients from the city's mountain barangays were used to travel their way to the North General Hospital and CCMC for X-ray tests. Barangay Guba is located 24 kilometers from the city proper.

The X-ray machine worth P1.7 million was donated to the community center by the Department of Health.

Aside from an X-ray machine, DOH also donated an electrocardiography machine worth P120,000.

City Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos said the center's new service is the "biggest leap" so far as the city gears toward upgrading it from being a primary care facility to being a level 1 hospital.

"We are on a continuing basis of asking DOH in terms of infrastructure to improve the building itself and at the same time the equipment," she said.

Guba Community Hospital head Dr. Jackielyn Cabrera, for her part, said the new equipment will surely help the hospital in advancing its services, as well enhance its efficiency in diagnosing the ailments of the patients.

"Most of the time, mao na ang request nato nga pa X-ray para maka diagnose ta sa sakit. Karon, we can easily diagnose our patients kay we don't have to wait for pila ka adlaw nga makahibaw ta sa ilang results," she said.

Doctor Butch Rosco, head of the imaging department, said the hospital has a bed capacity of 25.

But once upgraded to a level 1 status, the medical facility's bed capacity will be increased to 100.

Rosco said this would pave the way for improved medical services to upland barangay patients.

Under the DOH rules, a level 1 hospital or an "Emergency hospital" may provide only initial treatment and management to patients requiring immediate treatment and primary care for prevalent diseases in the area; general medicine, pediatrics, minor surgeries, and nonsurgical gynecology; primary clinical laboratory, pharmacy and first level radiology; and nursing care for patients needing minimal supervised care. —

Jean Marvette Demecillo/KBQ

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