KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) — The Tampakan General Hospital in South Cotabato is now providing vital medical services to at least 14 barangays in the municipality.
Its services also extend to remote areas, including Barangays Albagan, Buto, Danlag, and others.
Tampakan General Hospital, despite being an infirmary, aims to enhance its healthcare services by offering free access to essential medical care and hospitalization for indigent residents, especially in remote areas.
Mayor Leonard Escobillo Jr. emphasized the facility’s importance, especially for people living in mountainous areas where travel to the provincial hospital in Koronadal City is time-consuming.
“Ang Tampakan General Hospital is– hindi lang the first but the only hospital in the municipality. That is why pursigido kami na magpatayo kasi nga we don’t have a hospital here in Tampakan,” Escobillo told the Philippine Information Agency.
(The Tampakan General Hospital is not just the first but the only hospital in the municipality. This determination to build the facility stems from the lack of a hospital in Tampakan.)
Escobillo stated that, as the town’s first hospital with 42 beds, they aim to upgrade it to a Level 1 hospital soon, enabling them to offer more and better healthcare services to their constituents.
Aside from alleviating travel burdens, he also pointed out that the new facility helps reduce overcrowding in the provincial hospital and provides a more comfortable environment for patients who live in far-flung areas.
Meanwhile, Celerina Sabucido, a 74-year-old resident from the remote Barangay Danlag, expressed gratitude for the opening of the hospital, noting that it significantly eases the difficulty of traveling long distances only for medical care.
“Talagang ginhawa at napakalaking tulong ang pagbubukas ng Tampakan General Hospital, sa katulad ko pong senior citizen hindi na ako mahihirapan na magpakonsulta dahil mayroon ng malapit at libreng ospital dito sa amin,” Sabucido said.
(The opening of Tampakan General Hospital is truly a relief and a tremendous help. As a senior citizen, I no longer have to struggle to obtain a consultation because there is now a nearby hospital with free medical services in our area.)
The local government of Tampakan views the construction of the hospital as a significant step in its efforts to enhance healthcare access in underserved communities. (AMB – PIA Region 12)