SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union — Health services are now closer to residents of the second district of La Union after the Department of Health’s (DOH) first Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service (BUCAS) center in North Luzon opened in Tubao, La Union recently.
With the opening, DOH’s comprehensive diagnostic services, such as pediatrics, dentistry, ophthalmology, and orthopedics, can now be easily accessed by individuals and families needing assistance in the second district of La Union and adjacent areas.
The services provided by the center focus on the health needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and families and lessen logistics and other requisites that impede people from availing of health services.
The nation’s fleet of BUCAS centers now stands at 18, after the first-of-its-kind center opened in the province of Pampanga on March 6.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said that the agency will be aggressive in adding to that number, planning to open more BUCAS centers throughout the country in a bid to further develop health services for Filipinos.
“The idea is to modernize health facilities throughout the country. The BUCAS centers allow us to bring laboratory services like blood tests, hematology, blood chemistry, urinalysis, x-rays, and ultrasounds closer to those in need,” Herbosa said.
The opening of the BUCAS center comes just 75 days after its groundbreaking on April 1.
The rapid construction of the said facility is attributed to the collaboration and support of the DOH, the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC), the Office of La Union Second District Representative Dante Garcia, and the local government of Tubao, La Union.
The DOH, through the ITRMC, provided the personnel who shall man the day-to-day functions of the center, while the Office of Congressman Garcia provided the funds needed for the center’s construction.
The health department also provided P24.1 million worth of equipment for the operations of the BUCAS center.
The lot in Barangay Francia Sur, where the center stands, was meanwhile secured with the assistance of the local government of Tubao.
Congressman Garcia says that the BUCAS center’s services can cater to the health needs of those living in the municipalities of Tuba, Benguet in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Sison in Pangasinan.
“My programs here in the second district of La Union prioritize health, which makes this BUCAS center launch timely. This is a big thing, not just in this district, as we are also able to cater to the health needs of people as far as Tuba, Benguet, and Sison, Pangasinan,” Garcia said.
The opening also featured the turnover of various items from the DOH to the ITRMC, including food items for malnourished children and kits for senior citizens.
First aid kits were also turned over for Barangay Health Workers, “buntis” kits for pregnant women, and assistive devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, canes, and walkers. (JCR/AMB/CCMT, PIA La Union)
