5th phase of CCMC construction finally resumes

Local

CONSTRUCTION of the long-delayed fifth phase of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) has formally resumed, with city officials targeting completion by December 2026 and full operations by early 2027.

Mayor Nestor Archival on Wednesday, Feb. 11, led the ceremonial relaunch marking the continuation of the project’s construction.

The latest works include the completion of the fourth floor, which will house operating rooms, while the fifth to seventh floors are being developed as dedicated patient wards.

The reconstruction project was halted at the start of Archival’s term in July to allow for a technical review and audit after key structural and “as-built” plans were found missing. Following the audit’s recommendation for phased implementation, construction resumed under Dakay Construction.

Archival said he has instructed the contractor to ensure completion by the end of 2026.

“If this is completed by December, I am sure that by 2027 it will already be used by our constituents,” the mayor said in a mix of Cebuano and English during an interview after the event. “Now it is clear that we have already started.”

The CCMC is designed to accommodate 400 to 500 beds. At present, however, the hospital can admit only about 150 patients at a time, a figure that, in practice, is stretched beyond capacity.

Archival said some beds currently accommodate more than one patient due to volume, effectively pushing the patient load to as many as 250 to 300 individuals despite the limited infrastructure.

Many patients who cannot be accommodated are referred to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center or private hospitals.

Citing hospital data, Archival noted that more than half of current cases involve primary illnesses such as fever, diarrhea, and cough, conditions that could be managed at lower-level facilities if services are strengthened.

At the same time, he said the city struggles to fully cater to more complex or tertiary cases due to space and equipment constraints.

“With 400 beds, we expect to better serve patients from the city, including those from upland barangays,” he said.

Beyond Phase 5, the mayor said the city will prioritize repairs to other portions of the hospital damaged by the 2013 Bohol-Cebu earthquake to ensure they can function as first- and secondary-level facilities.

He also cited a Department of Health (DOH)-funded project covering additional works on upper floors, originally targeted for completion in December but slightly delayed. He expressed confidence it would be finished by 2026.

Archival emphasized the need to improve access for patients from mountain barangays, including the provision of anti-rabies vaccines for animal bite victims.

He said he has coordinated with Councilor Alvin Arcilla to ensure vaccines are made available closer to upland communities.

The mayor also challenged barangay captains to allocate more funds for health services, saying many cases crowding CCMC and Vicente Sotto involve primary conditions that could be treated at the barangay level.

He said the City Health Department and the City Council’s committee on health, chaired by Councilor Michelle Abella-Cellona, are working with barangays to expand services in local health centers.

Archival added that maximizing PhilHealth reimbursements at the barangay level could generate additional revenue for both the city and the barangays while decongesting major hospitals.

Archival said the city has been requesting medical equipment from the DOH since December, but earlier delays stemmed from the lack of appropriate space for installation.

Among the requested equipment are MRI machines, X-ray units, laboratory equipment, and dialysis machines.

He acknowledged challenges in maintaining dialysis units due to the high number of patients and limited technical personnel. Some machines are currently non-operational due to maintenance issues.

The city is studying the possibility of outsourcing dialysis services, where a private partner would provide and maintain the equipment while sharing revenue with the city.

For now, Archival said the city is focusing on completing works funded by the existing allocation of roughly P600 million to P700 million for Phase 5.

He disclosed that technical experts identified rectification works on the basement up to the third floor amounting to approximately P400 million. The city has sought additional funding from the City Council, which he said has moved to approve the request.

Further funding may be required for equipment and finishing works on the fourth to seventh floors once construction progresses.

The CCMC reconstruction was originally intended to replace the old city hospital damaged in the 2013 earthquake. Targeted for completion in 2015, the project has been stalled for nearly a decade due to contract disputes, missing technical documents, and administrative transitions.

In 2022, the city terminated a P1-billion contract with M.E. Sicat Construction due to non-performance. A subsequent P700-million contract for Phase 5 was awarded to Dakay Construction shortly before Archival assumed office.

The mayor earlier suspended the project pending an independent technical audit, following revelations that key plans and documents could not be located.

The audit recommended a phased approach to ensure structural integrity and proper documentation.(TGP)