Cebu City community hospital finally gets steady water supply

Local

AFTER decades of relying on rainwater and trucked-in supplies, the Guba Community Hospital in Cebu City finally has a steady water line.

This is part of a series of upgrades that Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. says will allow the facility to admit and treat patients locally by December.

Archival confirmed that the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) successfully connected the hospital to a reliable supply line two weeks ago, ending a 50-year struggle with inconsistent water access.

“Since the hospital started about 50 years ago, there has been no stable water source. They depended on rainwater and deliveries from the city,” the mayor said in an interview on August 10. “Now, thanks to MCWD, water is flowing directly into the facility.”

The improvement coincides with the delivery of critical medical equipment, including 35 new hospital beds and a brand-new X-ray machine. Additional supplies are expected to arrive next week.

The mayor also inspected ongoing electrical upgrades, with the facility shifting from a single-phase to a three-phase power system to handle new equipment.

Structural repairs are underway to address flooding caused by a collapsed rear wall, which allowed rainwater to enter the building. Archival has ordered immediate reinforcement to prevent future damage.

Once fully equipped, the hospital will be able to bill PhilHealth, generating revenue to sustain operations.

“By December, this hospital will be a hospital in the real sense, not just a place to stabilize patients before sending them downtown,” Archival said.

“It can treat non-critical cases right here in the mountains, and even earn income through PhilHealth claims,” he added.

For residents in Cebu City’s mountain barangays, the upgrades promise quicker, more accessible healthcare without the long travel to urban hospitals.

Archival noted that the changes could put Guba Community Hospital ahead of other city health projects in becoming fully operational.

The push to modernize the hospital builds on earlier commitments under the former Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia’s administration to enhance medical services in upland areas through better facilities, more equipment, and expanded staffing.(TGP)