DOH to Expand Health Services in Cordillera with 12 New Super Health Centers by 2025
The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) is set to receive twelve new super health centers by 2025, enhancing healthcare accessibility for its approximately 1.8 million residents, a regional health official announced on Wednesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Assistant Regional Director of the Department of Health-CAR, the expansion includes seven facilities currently under construction and five additional centers planned for the near future. These centers are part of a broader initiative that began with 14 facilities funded in 2023, half of which are already operational. The completed centers are distributed across the region, with two in Abra and one each in Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Tabuk City. The forthcoming projects include three centers in Mt. Province and one each in Benguet and Apayao.
Bugtong explained that these super health centers serve as an intermediary level of care between hospitals and rural health units, equipped to handle more complex health issues that typically require hospital care. Facilities at these centers include laboratory testing capabilities, X-ray machines, dental services, minor operating rooms, birthing clinics, and in some cases, tuberculosis directly observed therapy (TB-DOT) clinics.
The DOH-CAR’s enhancement of healthcare infrastructure aims to provide closer and more efficient medical services to the community. The region currently includes 1,176 villages across 75 municipalities and two cities, with a broad network of healthcare facilities including 1,129 barangay health centers, 33 infirmaries, 98 rural health units, 29 hospitals, and a drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation center.
The development of these super health centers is a key component of the Philippines’ Universal Health Care Law implementation, which seeks to improve access to health services and facilities. As the region progresses, these centers are expected to play a crucial role in achieving a more equitable health service distribution and enhancing patient care across the Cordillera.