CALAMBA CITY, Laguna (PIA) — Expect more affordable and quality healthcare services to the communities at the turn of the year, the Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Development Calabarzon said.
In an interview with the Sulong Calabarzon online program on Thursday, Jan. 9, Dr. Felices Emerita P. Perez, DOH Calabarzon’s medical officer, emphasized that their programs align with the health department’s eight priority outcomes.
These include putting up more Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service (BUCAS) centers in the different parts of region to address the ambulatory medical and surgical care needs of Filipinos.
The BUCAS centers, currently operating at the Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital in Bacoor City and the Batangas Medical Center, offer outpatient medical services aimed at extending consultation hours and providing easier access to healthcare.
“Ito ay konektado sa mga ospital at ang goal ng ating mga BUCAS ay mabawasan ang bilang ng mga pasyente na nagpapatingin sa mga ospital — ma-decongest ang mga ospital lalo na yung mga hindi naman emergencies at hindi kailangan operahan agad,” Perez explained.
The DOH Calabarzon also seeks to boost its PuroKalusugan program, a community-based approach to strengthening healthcare service delivery.
Perez said the initiative would turn health interventions, from health promotion to disease prevention, into actionable steps at the grassroots level. Dubbed “Saganang Pamayanan, Malusog Bawat Tahanan,” the program offers services aligned with the DOH’s priority health agenda.
The program, in partnership with local government units, aims to bring healthcare services to every “purok,” (barangay chapters) which are either unserved or underserved communities.
“Sa pamamagitan ng PuroKalusugan, pupuntahan natin ang dulo ng ating mga local government units batay sa ating walong priority programs. Kung alin doon ang mababang rate — for instance, pagbabakuna at maternal health — yun ang tututukan ng DOH,” Perez stressed.
She added that DOH Calabarzon targets to create PuroKalusugan activities in every town. The program, initially launched in Barangay Sucol, Balayan, Batangas, in November last year, also aims to address health gaps in the region, such as the low immunization rate for children.
The PuroKalusugan will offer immunization, nutrition counseling, water sanitation and hygiene, maternal health, tuberculosis prevention, road safety, hypertension and diabetes care, and cancer screening. It will also cover family planning, oral health, mental health, laboratory services, and other health initiatives.
Additionally, the DOH Calabarzon plans to establish wellness clinics in malls this year to make healthcare services more accessible to residents. The DOH Calabarzon said it will finalize the operational guidelines for the establishment of the mall-based clinics in the region.
Perez also highlighted that DOH Calabarzon is improving healthcare services with 53 completed super health centers and three regional hospitals. Upcoming regional hospitals include the Northern Tagalog Regional Hospital in Montalban, Rizal, and the Laguna Regional Hospital in Bay, Laguna. (FSC, PIA4A)
