In many cities around the world, their government-run hospitals are objects of pride and joy. Not so for Cebu city.

Fortunately –and I’m keeping my fingers crossed on this one– someone in the city council woke up to reality and suggested that the city council make a surprise visit to the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).

Actually one doesn’t need to enter the hospital premises to see what shape it’s in. All one has to do is pass by the hospital and immediately one can already surmise its sorry state.

But, for all its worth, it forebodes well that the mayor and councilors went to visit the hospital. One discovery was that patients only had an electric fan to keep cool while doctors’ offices and nurses’ stations were fully air-conditioned. (Perhaps the doctors and nurses weren’t the ones dying anyway, so why not be the ones to have the amenities?)

There were other heart-breaking discoveries (read it in Sun-Star Cebu here). In short, the term, "caregiver" cannot be applied to this hospital.

Acting Mayor Mike Rama immediately appointed a couple of councilors to oversee improvements to the hospital. We hope this is not merely a political move –this is why I’m keeping my fingers crossed– only to be forgotten when the next photo-op comes along.

One consolation, though: At least CCMC doesn’t have doctors who whoop it up after removing a canister from the anus of a hapless patient.