San Pedro City, Laguna has scored another victory in its goal of delivering affordable yet quality healthcare services for its constituents.
Last March 26, San Pedro City Mayor Art Mercado personally led the inauguration and blessing of a new Super Health Center, a major breakthrough in his goal of making San Pedro City “Una sa Kalusugan” in the province of Laguna.
Situated at Sitio Bayan-bayanan in Barangay San Vicente, the new Super Health Center is expected to cater to the needs of San Pedrenses from Sitio Bayan-Bayanan and the Upper Villages.
This meant that they no longer needed to go as far as Jose L. Amante Emergency Hospital (JLAEH) in the city’s downtown area, some six kilometers away from Sitio Bayan-Bayanan, just to avail of basic healthcare services.
Building bridges
“Ang Super Health Center ay isang kumpletong pasilidad na nagsisilbing tulay sa pagitan ng barangay health center at ospital,” officials of the San Pedro City Health Office told OpinYon Laguna in a message.
“Layunin nitong mabigyan ang ating mga kababayan ng dekalidad na serbisyong medikal na mas mabilis at mas accessible.”
The construction of the San Pedro City Super Health Center is also part of a wider initiative of the Department of Health (DOH) to bring essential medical services closer to communities, especially in far-flung and underserved areas.
The Super Health Center program, which was started in 2021 under the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte, serves as s an enhanced version of rural health units equipped with basic to intermediate health services.
Basic healthcare services
The new Super Health Center, officials said, will provide not only basic healthcare services but also some specialized facilities and programs that will benefit residents of Sitio Bayan-bayanan and the Upper Villages.
Aside from consultation and primary care services for common illnesses, the center will also deliver services for expectant mothers and their children; family-planning programs; immunization and preventive services; laboratory and diagnostic services such as blood testing; and pharmacy services that will deliver affordable essential and maintenance medicines for its patrons.
Future services, officials added, will include X-ray and ultrasound services, as well as dental services and minor surgical procedures.
“Sa pamamagitan ng Super Health Center, inaasahan nating mas mapapalapit ang serbisyong pangkalusugan, mababawasan ang pila sa ospital, at mas mapapabilis ang serbisyong medikal para sa lahat,” the City Health Office said.
Future plans
The opening of the new Super Health Center marks another important milestone in the goal of Mayor Art Mercado to raise the standards of city’s healthcare services.
To recall, the city government recently signed an agreement with major private hospitals in San Pedro City that will ensure that indigent residents will also have access to quality healthcare, through its Hospital Financial Assistance Program.
The program aims to augment existing public health services by enabling eligible beneficiaries to receive necessary medical treatment in an accredited level 2 private hospital without being unduly burdened by hospital expenses.
“Pinalalakas din natin ang buong health system sa pamamagitan ng Universal Health Care
implementation, pagpapalawak ng barangay health programs, pagdagdag ng health
workers, at pag-upgrade ng mga pasilidad at kagamitan,” officials of the City Health Office added.
“Unti-unti din nating ipinapatupad ang digital health systems tulad ng electronic health
records at telemedicine para mas mabilis at mas maayos ang serbisyo.
“Sinisigurado din natin na de kalidad ang gating serbisyo sa pamamagitan ng pagsunod sa DOH standards, regular na training ng health workers, at mahigpit na monitoring ng mga pasilidad at programa. At itong mga basic services na ito ay libre lalo na para sa mga programang suportado ng lokal na pamahalaan.”
(Photos from the San Pedro City Public Affairs and Information Office)
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