Mayor-Elect Eyes 24-Hour Hospitalization, Med Services in Cebu

Mayor-elect Edgardo Labella plans to make the services of the City Hospitalization and Medicine Program (CHAMP) available 24 hours a day when he assumes his post in July.

“I will make the services of CHAMP available 24 hours a day so that City Hall would be able to assist indigent residents with their immediate medical needs and during emergencies,” said Labella in Cebuano during a brief interview late Monday afternoon.

Cebu City residents can avail of PHP25,000 assistance for hospitalization through the program as well as PHP5,000 for medicines and PHP5,000 for laboratory procedures.

To be able to avail of these benefits, a patient or his representative only needs to present a hospital billing or doctors’ prescription together with a voter’s certificate and barangay clearance.

The incumbent Vice Mayor Labella said CHAMP personnel will be assigned at the Cebu City Medical Center, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, and accredited private hospitals to cater to the needs of the patients anytime of the day.

Private hospitals where CHAMP services will soon be made available include the Cebu Doctors University Hospital, Cebu Velez General Hospital, Chong Hua Hospital, and St. Vincent General Hospital.

Labella hopes that these private hospitals would not refuse patients who cannot pay any deposit since CHAMP will be there to guarantee payment. (PNA)