PANGASINAN – Residents of 15 villages in Pangasinan and those from nearby municipalities now have access to enhanced medical services with the inauguration of the first phase of the Super Health Center on Friday.
According to Philippines News Agency, a medical officer from the Department of Health-Center for Health Development Ilocos (DOH-CHD-1) Region 1, the facility was funded with PHP6 million from the 2022 national budget. The construction of phase two is slated within the year, with an additional PHP6 million allocated for infrastructure, equipment, and an ambulance, as per the 2024 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Dr. Sibayan emphasized that the center is designed to operate fully even before the completion of its second phase. Dr. Rosario Pamintuan, the chief of the local health support division at DOH-CHD-1, mentioned that the center would offer laboratory procedures and dental services. The establishment of the Super Health Center is a step towards making health services more accessible to the public and achieving universal health care, she added.
Mapandan Mayor Karl Christian Vega expressed gratitude towards the national government for supporting the project. He highlighted that the new health facility would augment the services provided by the existing Rural Health Unit, benefiting over 40,000 residents. In a related development, the DOH has announced the recruitment of 311 nurses, 130 midwives, 29 medical technologists, 17 pharmacists, 12 dentists, two nutritionists-dieticians, three physical therapists, 25 doctors to the barrios, 35 doctors for post-residency deployment, and one specialist for deployment across local government units in the Ilocos Region.