Cebu City Health department wants fees hike to improve service
CEBU
CITY, July 29 (PNA) -- The Cebu City Health Department (CCHD) plans to
raise its fees to improve services and operations.
The raise will be implemented once the City Council approves
the amendatory ordinance proposed by Councilor Ronald Cuenco.
Cuenco said the additional income CCHD will get from the
rate adjustments will not only help the department cope with the
increase in the prices of reagents used in lab exams, but will also help
improve its services.
According to Cuenco, current rates have not changed in 12
years, hence “these no longer reasonably and accurately reflect the
present inflationary costs,” which have risen over the years.
If the raise is approved, patients will pay P50 for medical
or physical examinations for employment, instead of P30.
The permit for cadaver disposition will cost P50, instead of
P10. A permit for exhumation of cadaver, as well as the removal or
reburial of cadaver, will be P50, instead of P15. A permit to cremate
will go up from P50 to P200, as well as the entrance and transfer of a
cadaver to the city from other town, city, or province from P25 to P30.
Cemetery fee will also cost P150 instead of P15.
CCHD’s health inspection fee for business establishments
will also go up.
The health certificate for food handlers will be P20 instead
of P10. Mental and dental and other hospital certificates will be P50
instead of P10.
A new rate will also be imposed on laboratory procedures
that will be performed by CCHD, such as the certification of the
potability of water, certification of the potability of rice, sanitary
permit, foodstuff inspection certificate for local products, foodstuff
inspection certificate for export products, and septic tank excavation
permit.
”Whatever amount we will be getting from the increase will
be solely used for the operations at city Health,” Cuenco said.
He said the rate adjustments will not be an additional
burden to the public since these are minimal.
”This will only be a one-shot payment. It’s not like you
will do this every day,” he said. (PNA)
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