CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA 7) — The Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas has established a total of four Bagong Urgent and Ambulatory Care Service (BUCAS) centers in Cebu and Bohol provinces.
Central Visayas has the most number of BUCAS centers set up in the country, said DOH-7 regional director Dr. Jaime S. Bernadas.
Bernadas said BUCAS was launched by DOH Sec. Teodoro Javier Herbosa to address backlogs and decongest the public hospitals.
“To address the backlogs, to address the problems on personnel, health professionals ug facilities nga maabot sa atong mga kaigsuonan ug ang uban pud nga problema sa kapuno sa mga DOH hospitals, so busa nag-establish kita og BUCAS Centers,” said Bernadas.
(We established BUCAS centers to address the backlogs, the problems on personnel, health professionals, and facilities that can accommodate the public, and the congestion of DOH hospitals.)
The four BUCAS Centers are located in Carcar City and Bantayan Island in Cebu, and in Tagbilaran City and Municipality of Talibon in Bohol.
The services offered in the centers also include primary care consultations, ambulatory and urgent care for minor injuries and illnesses, and preventive screenings, among others.
“Kung kinahanglan operahan insigida, operahan sab nila didto pinaagi sa atong BUCAS Center kay ambulatory ug urgent care man. Kung pananglitan, didto sa maong gibutangan, kinahanglang operahan dayon, so operahan nila, pagkahuman i-admit na sa hospital,” Bernadas explained.
(If urgent surgery is required, they can do this in our BUCAS centers because they are both ambulatory and urgent care. If, for example, in that place, it is necessary to operate immediately, so they will operate, after which the patient will be admitted to the hospital.)
The BUCAS centers will be manned by the family medicine doctors from the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) and medical specialists.
Bernadas said the active engagement of the local and provincial government is crucial to the success of the establishment of the BUCAS Center.
SugBUCAS
Bernadas shared that with the support of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, more centers will be established in Cebu province dubbed as ‘SugBUCAS’ centers.
“Daghan pa ni ang mosunod kay ang gustong i-establish ni Governor Gwen peru nauna ang Carcar,” he said.
(Gov. Gwen wants to establish more centers in Cebu but we started with Carcar City first.)
DOH Central Visayas Center for Health Development was the featured agency for the 4th episode of the “Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas” program, a new platform initiated by the Presidential Communication Office (PCO) through the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).
The activity serves as a platform to enhance public understanding and engagement with the national government’s programs and projects through the different government agencies.
Among the discussions include the institutionalization of the 711 Operations and One Health Command Center, Strengthening of the Medical Assistance to Indigent & Financially Incapacitated Patient (MAIFIP) Program, the Launch of the Health Referral System 2nd Edition Manual, the Establishment and accreditation of the DOH CV CHD Water Testing Laboratory, and the department’s participation in the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair.
Watch the full episode here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/U3fhhn4rGVVaDhg1/ (JJT/PIA7)
