Capitol looks to provide space for families of VSMMC patients

Local

The Cebu Provincial Government is working on immediate and long-term solutions to address the situation of families sleeping outside the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).

This after a social media post went viral, showing families of patients sleeping on cardboard outside the hospital.

The VSMMC has a standing one-patient-one-authorized watcher policy under Hospital Order No. 2024-123 or the process flow of releasing a watcher’s pass.

VSMMC already issued a statement clarifying that its policy allows only one authorized watcher per patient to ensure safety, prevent overcrowding, and maintain infection control.

The hospital management said it previously partnered with local governments to provide temporary accommodation and transportation for patient watchers, but the initiative was discontinued due to low utilization.

In a Facebook post, Baricuatro said the Capitol is coordinating with the hospital and the Department of Health (DOH) to have a designated area available for the families who cannot enter the hospital, while ensuring compliance with hospital policies limiting each patient to have one watcher only.

Saying it is the government’s responsibility to help the affected individuals, the governor expressed concern over families sleeping outside the hospital, especially because most of them are Cebuanos.

Baricuatro noted that this has been a problem for quite some time now, which is why she has already tasked her personnel to work on the matter while she is following up the progress.

“Naa tay lugar nga giila alang niini, apan wala pa kini mabakante. Mao kini ang usa sa mga kinahanglan natong masulbad aron mapagamit ang lugar. We have an interim plan for the immediate need and a longer-term plan, and I want these moved forward” Baricuatro said

Baricuatro acknowledged the hospital’s policy as this also protects the safety and security of their patients.

This is also the reason why the Capitol is strengthening the medical services in the Capitol’s provincial and district hospitals so that those cases that can be handled by province-run hospitals will no longer be referred to VSMMC.

She also plans to raise this concern before the Regional Development Council (RDC).

“Regional concern kini, ug dili lamang Cebu ang nag-atubang sa ingon niini nga problema. Kinahanglan magkahiusa ta sa pagpangita og solusyon, both for the families who need assistance now and for the larger challenges in our healthcare system” Baricuatro said.(MyTVCebu)