Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival on Wednesday led the groundbreaking ceremony for the resumption of Phase 5 of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), marking the continuation of the long-delayed hospital expansion.
The February 11 ceremony signaled the restart of construction works covering additional floors of the city-run hospital, which had been placed under review at the start of Archival’s administration.
Phase 5 includes the completion of the fourth floor, which will house operating rooms, and the construction of the fifth to seventh floors intended for patient rooms.
Once completed, the expansion is expected to significantly increase the hospital’s bed capacity and improve access to healthcare services for Cebu City residents.
Construction has resumed under Dakay Construction and Development Corporation.
Archival said he expects the project to be completed by December 2026, with the expanded facility targeted to be operational by early 2027.
“I was talking with Engr. Dakay that he needs to complete this by December. If that would be completed by December, I’m sure that in 2027, it will be used already by our constituents,” the mayor said.
Archival explained that the project was temporarily halted at the beginning of his administration to allow for a thorough review and ensure transparency and proper use of public funds.
“Kinahanglan gyud nato ang maayong review ug mas lig-on nga proseso aron masiguro ang transparency ug hustong paggamit sa pondo sa katawhan,” he said.
The CCMC was originally designed to accommodate 400 to 500 beds but currently operates at around 150 beds.
Due to high patient volume, some beds are reportedly shared, pushing actual occupancy to as many as 250 to 300 patients at times.
According to Archival, more than 50 percent of admitted cases involve primary illnesses such as fever, diarrhea, and cough.
Patients requiring tertiary or specialized care are often referred to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center or private hospitals due to limited capacity.
With the completion of the additional floors, the city government aims to increase bed capacity to around 400, enabling the hospital to better serve residents, including those from upland barangays.
Present during the event were city councilors, department heads, CCMC administrators led by Kenneth Siasar and Dr. Anton Reposar, hospital staff, representatives from the Department of Engineering and Public Works and the Department of Health, professional volunteers, and other stakeholders.
The mayor added that the city will also prioritize repairs of hospital sections damaged by the earthquake, alongside a separate Department of Health-funded project involving the second floor, which is expected to be completed by 2026. (LLP)
Photo from Nestor Archival/ Facebook
