Capitol Ramps Up Healthcare Staffing, Funding for 2026

The Baricuatro administration is strengthening Cebu’s healthcare system as it heads into 2026, building on reforms implemented in 2025 and lessons learned from twin disasters that tested the province’s response capacity.

Shortly after taking office, Governor Pamela Baricuatro moved to stabilize hospital operations and address long-standing gaps in manpower, equipment, and emergency preparedness.

One of the administration’s earliest initiatives was to bolster the health workforce, adding 376 new medical and support personnel across Capitol-run hospitals in Cebu.

The new hires include 58 doctors, 197 nurses, 47 medical technologists, five pharmacists, and 111 support staff.

The revival of the Provincial Health Board restored a centralized platform for coordinating health policies, disaster planning, and service delivery among provincial hospitals and partner agencies.

The province also expanded direct healthcare services, delivering free medical and surgical assistance to thousands of patients through missions and outreach programs, with several targeting communities with limited access to specialized care.

Beyond clinical services, the administration improved quality-of-life measures for patients, restoring free dental care in southern Cebu and increasing meal allowances for admitted patients to between P50 and P100 per meal, depending on hospital policy.

In hospital development, the provincial government allocated P650 million over the past six months to procure medical equipment, including X-ray machines, electrocardiogram units, dental equipment, and nebulizers. Infrastructure upgrades in district hospitals aimed to reduce congestion in major facilities and bring services closer to rural communities.

The province’s health systems faced further tests during a powerful earthquake and subsequent flooding, prompting the rollout of an emergency response tracker to monitor needs in real time.

Preventive measures followed, including large-scale distribution of leptospirosis prophylaxis to at-risk populations.

All 10 provincial hospitals now operate 24-hour laboratory services, addressing previous gaps in access to diagnostic testing during emergencies and off-hours. (SBA)

Photo by Cebu Province / Facebook page