DOH-7 gives P6M aid to Cebu City Hospital to upgrade lab facilities

 By Fayette C. Riñen

 CEBU CITY, July 15 (PIA) --- The Department of Health (DOH) here turned over P6M worth of check to the Cebu City Government to upgrade the laboratory facilities of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) providing more efficient lab services to the hordes of indigents seeking daily medical treatment.

DOH-7 Regional Director recently turned over the check to Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama at the City Hall. The money will be used to buy new laboratory equipment such as lab chemistry and hematology analyzers, this is said.

“Laboratory services at the CCMC will really improve once we will be able to procure the new laboratory equipment,” CCMC Chief Dr. Eduardo Sedoripa was quoted in a news report.

With the financial assistance given by the DOH, the city hospital will now be able to provide better and efficient health services to the public.

Though the CCMC is supposed to prioritize patients from Cebu City, it has a standing policy to accommodate all patients as much as possible even if they are non-residents of Cebu City.

“We have a policy not to turn away patients that come to our hospital,” according to CCMC Head of the Pediatric Department Dr. Lee James Maratas.

“You can just imagine the volume of patients that go to the hospital,” Maratas declared and cited

the incidence of dengue of which hospital admissions have increased per their record from January to April, this year compared to the same period of 2010.

“From January to April, this year, dengue cases admitted to the city hospital reached 271 compared to the 225 cases of the same period last year or a recorded increase of 46 cases,” Maratas disclosed but added that the figure is not a cause for alarm as not all patients really come from the city.

Examination of dengue on the other hand, is analyzed through complete blood count which the health department’s financial aid is a very big help to procure upgraded laboratory equipment, this is said. (PIA 7-Cebu)