LHFI, VSMMC sign MOA with Archdiocese of Cebu for use of IC3 as COVID-19 treatment center

CEBU CITY-- The LH Foundation, Inc. (LHFI) with the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) and the Archdiocese of Cebu signed the mèmorandum of agreement Wednesday, February 2 for the free use of the IC3 Convention Center as a Temporary Treatment Monitoring and Isolation Facility (TTMF) to provide medical care and assistance for mild and moderate COVID-19 patients.

Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) secretary Michael Dino extends its heartfelt gratitude and sincere appreciation to the Archdiocese of Cebu, through His Excellency Archbishop Jose  Palma for allowing the free use of the IC3 exclusively as the COVID19 Treatment Center (IEC-CTC) in Cebu.

“In response to the ongoing COVID-19 surge and in prudent preparation for threats of other variant-driven surges that may affect Cebu and its neighboring provinces," Dino said.

The IEC-CTC will be a multi-party collaboration to be managed and operated by the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) with the support of the Cebu City Government through, OPAV, the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Diseases - Visayas (IATF-Visayas), the Department of Health (DOH-7) and volunteer Private Sector partners, Dino bared in his message during the signing ceremony today at the IC3.

The IEC-CTC is a 120-bed treatment and isolation facility that will provide medical care for asymptomatic, mild and moderate COVID-19 patients from February 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023 to help augment the healthcare capacity of Cebu.

According to DOH-7 the current COVID Capacity Utilization Rates (CCUR) for both Public and Private Hospitals in Cebu remain at high levels due to the ongoing Omicron-driven surges. The IEC-CTC will help decongest the allocated COVID-19 beds in both public and private hospitals of Cebu.

With the IEC-CTC, hospitals now can focus more on the treatment of severe and critical COVID-19 patients while expeditiously providing proper medical care for patients with mild to moderate symptoms, especially for those who might be unable to self-isolate at home due to damages caused by the recent typhoon.

"While it is our fervent hope that the current Omicron surge and threats of other variant-driven surges are mitigated as soon as possible, OPAV continues to provide needed assistance for our fellow Cebuanos, as we continue to rise above this current health crisis on top of our ongoing post-Typhoon Odette recovery efforts," Dino added.

Upon the effectivity of the agreement the Archdiocese will turn over the IEC building to VSMMC that will operate and manage it as a temporary COVID Treatment Center (IEC-CTC).