More people are coming to the hospitals run by the Cebu Provincial Government, and the Capitol sees this as a sign that trust in public healthcare is returning.
The rising patient numbers in the 16 hospitals under the provincial government show that public confidence in government-run healthcare facilities is coming back, according to the Capitol's public health consultant, Dr. Nikki Baricuatro Catalan-Vizcayno.
Dr. Catalan-Vizcayno said the administration of Gov. Pamela Baricuatro is overhauling the provincial healthcare system by addressing shortages in medicines, medical supplies, equipment, personnel and infrastructure, while working to make quality healthcare more accessible to Cebuanos.
"A good problem that we have is high census. We have more people coming to our hospitals," Dr. Catalan-Vizcayno said.
She made the statement during her guesting on "Beyond the Headlines," a news web show produced by SunStar Cebu and hosted by Darwin John Moises, also known as DJ Moises, on Oct. 20.
Dr. Catalan-Vizcayno returned to the program after a year, offering a comparative perspective on the changes under Gov. Baricuatro's administration and its efforts to fulfill the governor's campaign promise to improve Cebu's healthcare system.
She said the administration began with immediate, practical interventions, including ensuring that provincial hospitals had adequate medicines, supplies and equipment.
The Capitol is also filling vacant plantilla positions by hiring more doctors, nurses and support personnel, while regularizing qualified employees to strengthen staffing stability and institutionalize reforms.
Dr. Catalan-Vizcayno said 44 percent of the healthcare personnel are new hires under the current administration, highlighting the scale of the staffing changes and the need to support those delivering frontline medical services.
"The assurance we give is that we have more doctors and we have more staff there, and there is really medication. In our periodic updates, we try to show that there are stocks. It's really to show them that we are capable, facilities are there, and that they can trust," she said.
Beyond addressing basic shortages, Dr. Catalan-Vizcayno said the Capitol wants patients to feel that they are treated with dignity and compassion, standards she said should define public healthcare.
The provincial government is also maintaining partnerships with the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and the private sector to strengthen healthcare delivery, recognizing that the province cannot address all its needs alone.
She said the administration's goal goes beyond politics because the hospitals remain committed to serving Cebuanos regardless of political affiliations, providing them with affordable, quality healthcare they can trust.
Source: Cebu Provincial Government / Capitol PIO