CEBU CITY—A newly constructed Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) is now operational seven years after its old building was torn down due to severe damages caused by an earthquake.
Three floors of the 10-story hospital were inaugurated during the soft opening on Monday.
“There had been roadblocks along the way but because of our insistence and perseverance, this moment has finally arrived,” said City Mayor Edgardo Labella, who was one of the city officials who graced the soft opening.
“I am happy that we became united especially in working hard to rebuild the CCMC. We can now serve our less fortunate brothers and sisters through the Out-Patient Department (OPD),” added Labella. The old CCMC, located along N. Bacalso Avenue, was demolished in 2013 due to severe damages caused by an earthquake. The new hospital building sits in the same location.
Labella said that after the OPD, the imaging department will be the next to become operational.
“It may just be one department for now, but I believe we have to start somewhere because this project has been long overdue. We will work doubly hard to ensure the completion of the new CCMC. Our people in the City of Cebu deserve no less than affordable and good medical services,” said Labella.
Aside from machines for magnetic resonance imaging, CT Scan, X-Ray, Ultrasound and dialysis, the hospital also built a negative pressure area that can attend to coronavirus disease COVID-19 patients.
Labella said he was hoping that the hospital will be fully operational in the next 18 months. The city needs P1.3 billion to finish the construction.
“We need the support of the city council,” said Labella.