Cebu Provincial Hospital-Carcar Gets Major Upgrade: New ER, ICUs, and Mammogram Machine Now Online
Patients in Carcar City and nearby towns in Southern Cebu now have access to better emergency and critical care services, as the Cebu Provincial Government officially unveiled new and upgraded facilities at the Cebu Provincial Hospital (CPH)-Carcar on Saturday, September 26.
Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro, together with Capitol Piso Health Consultant Dr. Nikki Baricuatro Catalan-Vizcayno, led the blessing of the hospital's newly departmentalized Emergency Room, along with its new Pediatric and Medical Intensive Care Units and a mammogram machine — additions that mark one of the biggest facility upgrades the hospital has seen in recent years.
The ER expansion alone is a big deal for the area. From a previous 10-bed capacity, the department can now handle 30 patients at a time, with separate, organized spaces for internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics, and critical cases. That means more organized and specialized emergency care instead of everyone being handled in one general area.
"Ang atong mga nanay, ate, lola, mama, tita, makapahimulos na niini, labina naana sa duol sa atuang tugkaran," said CPH-Carcar Chief of Hospital Dr. Mary Ann Josephine Arsenal, referring to the new mammogram machine that will allow the hospital to provide breast cancer screening and help detect early signs of the disease.
Why this matters for Southern Cebu
CPH-Carcar isn't just serving Carcar City. As a Level 1 sub-apex hospital, it's the catchment facility for a massive stretch of Southern Cebu — 21 municipalities, three component cities, six district hospitals, and 31 rural health units, covering an estimated 1.5 million population. That's a huge number of people relying on this single hospital for services.
Dr. Arsenal noted that the upgraded Pediatric and Medical ICUs are crucial not only in caring for critically ill patients but also in the hospital's ongoing preparation for its upgrading to a Level 2 facility. This would allow CPH-Carcar to offer additional medical services and bring in more medical and surgical specialists to handle complex cases.
The hospital also acquired a new C-arm machine to support orthopedic procedures, which now complements its existing CT scan, X-ray, and diagnostic laboratory services. On top of the ER and ICU upgrades, CPH-Carcar now offers hemodialysis, cancer screening examinations, and eye care services, alongside its existing orthopedic, surgical, obstetric, and gynecological operations.
What this means for patients
For residents of Carcar and surrounding towns, this means more accessible, responsive, and quality healthcare services closer to home. Hospital wards are also now fully air-conditioned, and private rooms are set to open soon, adding to patient comfort during hospital stays.
City officials were also present at the event, including Carcar City Mayor Patrick Barcenas, Vice Mayor Perkins De Dios, and Board Members Neneth Reluya, Jojo Bacaltos, and Cesar Baricuatro.
QUICK SUMMARY
What: New departmentalized Emergency Room, Pediatric and Medical ICUs, and a mammogram machine were blessed and opened at Cebu Provincial Hospital-Carcar.
Where: Cebu Provincial Hospital (CPH)-Carcar, Carcar City, Cebu.
When: Saturday, September 26.
Impact on Visayas: The hospital serves as the main catchment facility for 21 municipalities, three cities, six district hospitals, and 31 rural health units across Southern Cebu — roughly 1.5 million people — meaning the upgrade directly benefits a huge stretch of the region, not just Carcar itself.
Source: Capitol PIO, Photos by ASC