Proposed special wards for senior citizens hospital admins raise concern over lack of space, resources

CEBU, Philippines - The hospital administrators in Cebu City are not against the proposal requiring them to put up special wards for senior citizens in their medical facility but the lack of resources is considered one of the possible obstacles in the compliance of the said proposal.

The hospital administrators who attended the public hearing conducted by the Cebu City Council requested the city legislators to also consider their side.

Councilor Edgardo Labella proposed that all government and private hospitals operating in Cebu City will be required to provide special wards where the elderly patients are grouped together while they are undergoing treatment.

Dr. James Alesna, of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), said he is not against the proposed ordinance but their hospital’s limited resources may be one of their problems in complying with the provision.

“Usahay gani ang among mga pasyente moabut na man sa lobby kay kuwang na g’yud mi og ward nga kabutangan sa pasyente. (Sometimes patients reach the lobby because we lack wards to accommodate our patients),” he told the councilors.

According to Alesna, the VSMMC is an 800-bed capacity hospital, but sometimes their patients would reach over 1,200.

He explained that the usual procedure is for patients with similar illnesses to be grouped in one ward so that it would be easy for them to assign medical equipment.

Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) head Gloria Duterte concurred with Alesna that the lack of space may be one of their problems to comply with the ordinance if it will be approved.

But Dr. Eli Belarmino of the Visayas Community Medical Center said they are very willing to comply with the ordinance.

Once the proposed ordinance will be approved, all hospitals operating and doing business within the territorial jurisdiction of the city will be strictly required to maintain a geriatric ward for the elderly persons.

Labella’s proposed ordinance suggested that the failure of any hospital to comply with the requirement shall result in the suspension of its permit to operate for as long as said non-compliance continues.

There was no representative from the senior citizens during the public hearing, although Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said the elderly persons being the beneficiaries of the ordinance would surely support it. (FREEMAN)