Loreche to head city hospital: New chief for CCMC

CEBU, Philippines —  Department of Health (DOH)-7’s chief pathologist, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, is set to become the new head of the Cebu City Medical Center starting July 1, 2022.

This was announced by Mayor Michael Rama on Wednesday, June 22.

“If the mayor says so, then it must be so… Ang among naistoryahan is the headship… akoy mopadagan sa iyang CCMC,” Loreche confirmed to reporters.

Her appointment papers are yet to be processed as of this writing.

This will not be Loreche’s first engagement with the city. She has been helping the city out as consultant in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Loreche said Rama’s offer is something she could not refuse because she shares his vision of following in the steps of Singapore, a city state.

To make this happen, the city must have an excellent healthcare system and world-class medical services, which are accessible especially to the less fortunate residents.

“I share in his vision. I believe nga the least fortunate of this place should have the best medical services kay bisan mag-uswag man gud ang usa ka lugar, kinahanglan niya partner ang health, and we have seen that during the pandemic, so we need to strengthen our health, our medical care, and to be prepared… to have a healthy community, require very strong medical activities also,” Loreche said.

She said she will need to study everything about the city hospital before coming up with plans.

In a separate interview with The Freeman, Rama shared that he and Loreche have discussed putting up a molecular laboratory and dialysis center at CCMC.

Other Engagements

Loreche is still with DOH as of this writing and said she is still finalizing arrangements. Ultimately, it will be Regional Director Jaime Bernadas who will decide on her status at the department.

“I-arrange pa na namo kay sa DOH man gud, I’m only handling the lab ra man… I do not know how the RD will look at it… most likely, he will get somebody to replace me or mag-transition mi,” she said.

She clarified that she continues to have a good relationship with DOH-7.

“Yes, no problem at all… I think naman, I believe I have given my best also during the pandemic with the Department of Health and I have rendered and given all, you know, done everything I could as expected,” she said.

Loreche has been the face of DOH-7 in the past two years in the region’s response efforts to COVID-19. Until 2021, she has given the local press daily updates on the COVID-19 situation in the region. Later, she was designated head of the Visayas COVID-19 Vaccination Center.

Even before Rama’s offer, Loreche has also worked with other local government units as health consultant, including with Cebu Province.

RT-PCR Machine

Meanwhile, Rama said he wants to get back the RT-PCR machine the city lent to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in 2020 during the first surge of COVID cases. He wants the machine stationed at the molecular laboratory he wants established at CCMC.

In 2021, the Commission on Audit flagged the city government, then led by the late Mayor Edgardo Labella, due to irregularities in purchasing the medical equipment.

COA said the RT-PCR machine costs P18,073,784.85 and was procured without consulting the head of the city health department, which is requirement in the purchase.

Rama was vice mayor at that time.

Rama said he is not aware of the details of the COA report but what is important is to have the machine back.

The COA report said that “there was also no proper receipt and transfer of the property since there was no Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) entered into by and between the City of Cebu and the VSMMC, thus accountability was not fixed.  The Acknowledgement Receipt for Equipment of the RT-PCR machine is still under the name of an employee of the CCMC even if the equipment is already with the VSMMC.  Due to the absence of an agreement, all the necessary information to support the obligations and responsibilities of both parties could not be determined.” – Decemay P. Padilla, JMO (FREEMAN)