DAVAO CITY (PIA) – In pursuit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ‘s goal of building more health facilities to address the health needs of many Filipinos particularly in rural areas, the Department of Health Region XI (DOH-XI) reported the construction and completion of more hospitals, health centers and other related facilities in the region.
With the rising demand for added medical infrastructure alongside medical equipment and medical motor vehicles, the DOH through the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) was able to increase the number of health facilities in the region.
“Since 2021 majority of our HFEP projects are the completion of level 1 and level 2 hospitals, we also have the construction of primary care providers facilities that include our barangay health stations in GIDAS (Geographical Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas) and primary care facilities that also includes the provision of corresponding medical equipment and medical motor vehicles such as ambulances and patient transport vehicles based on the need of LGUs,” DOH-XI Regional Director Annabelle Yumang M.D. said during her guesting at the recent Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas.
From 2021 there has been a steady increase of these health facilities in the region.
“In 2021 Davao Region has a total of 1,245 government health facilities. In 2022 19 were added, in 2023 105 more health facilities were added and in 2024 we have additional six facilities so we have 1,375 facilities or 130 more facilities were added from 2021 to 2024,” Regional Director Yumang said.
Of the 130 added facilities; 78 are Barangay Health Stations, 50 Super Health Centers, and two local government unit hospitals.
Also, a total of 57 Type 1 ambulance units were provided to different health facilities in the region from 2021-2024.
“Focusing on the completion, upgrading, renovation of our existing LGU hospitals also of our rural health units to become a licensed primary care facility,” Yumang said.
One added facility is the P80-million cardiac catheterization laboratory at the Southern Philippine Medical Center (SPMC) which was inaugurated in February of this year.
“This cath lab provides a wide range of procedures that includes diagnostics, interventions, electrophysiology, structural heart disease interventions as well as emergency care,” the DOH-XI regional director said.
The SPMC cath lab is said to be the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. (RGA/PIA Davao Region)
