Haarlemmermeer gives P600T for CCMC pedia

CEBU, Philippines — As part of the celebration of the 25th sisterhood agreement with Cebu City, a delegation from Haarlemmermeer in Netherlands turned over 10,000 euros or P600,000 yesterday morning.

The financial assistance will be used for the pediatric ward of the new Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) building, where the construction of its first phase is already 80 percent complete.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña believed that Cebu City’s sisterhood agreement with Haarlemmermeer is the most active in the Philippines.

Peter Janssen of Haarlemmermeer said he has witnessed the growing relationship of his city and Cebu.

“In November 2016, there was an official delegation of Haarlemmermeer visiting Cebu and they donated several projects and also went to CCMC especially when they went to the pediatric ward,” he said.

This year, Janssen said the group decided to launch an auction for the rehabilitation of CCMC especially that its old building was demolished when a strong quake in 2013 affected the building’s foundation.

He said the group also decided to collect toys from children in the Netherlands, which they distributed to the children at the CCMC yesterday.

City Councilor Margarita Osmeña, who visited Haarlemmermeer in June this year, said she was the one who requested Haarlemmermeer to dedicate the donation solely for the children’s pediatric ward.

“Since there’s an opportunity to have a new CCMC, we can hope that we’ll have a pediatric ward really a place for children. It’s really geared towards the children so that they can see it as a place for healing,” she said.

Councilor Osmeña said she visited the makeshift hospital two weeks ago and found out that there were children who share beds with other children.

With this, she said the donation will be used to make a colorful and child-friendly pediatric ward in the new CCMC building.

CCMC Hospital Administrator Kenneth Siasar said one bed in the pediatric ward is being shared by three children.

“It’s really congested. So, what we are trying to do is that we are currently using the emergency room as temporary admission room,” he said.

Siasar said he is excited to see the new CCMC building to be operational hopefully by the end of the year with the first five of ten floors.

Initially, he said the city is planning to have one floor to be dedicated solely to children.

City Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos, deputy mayor for health services, said the donation is a big boost to the ongoing construction of the new hospital.

“The donation could very well fund the needs of the new hospital in terms of medical equipment, laboratory apparatus and even the much-needed medicines both for the out-patients and those admitted to the hospital,” she said.

Alvin Dizon, chairman of the Sister City Commission, said the donation is useful in improving the services of the city’s hospital. (FREEMAN)