Residents of Matag-ob, in the western portion of Leyte, will soon no longer need to go as far as Ormoc or Tacloban cities for healthcare services.
This, as the national government, through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), recently issued a notice to proceed with the construction of a Super Health Center in this town.
Mayor Bernardino Tacoy thanked the national government for granting their request to build the health facility for the town’s 21 villages.
“To ensure the delivery of quality health services for the residents of Matag-ob, we formally requested the establishment of a Super Health Center from the Department of Health (DOH) in 2023,” Tacoy told reporters on Tuesday, January 26.
The DPWH issued the notice to proceed with the project last January 13.
The local government is just completing the demolition of an old structure in the project site inside the municipal hall complex before the official kick-off.
Tacoy said he is hopeful the project would be completed on schedule despite issues between the local government and the office of Leyte 4th district Representative Richard Gomez, who wants the facility built in Barangay Santa Rosa, some nine kilometers away from the town center.
“The best location of the health center would be at the town center since this is accessible to residents in 21 villages. The road network leading to Santa Rosa passes through a landslide-prone area based on assessment by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau,” he added.
During his speech in Matag-ob town on Monday for the planned project groundbreaking, Gomez said he facilitated the funding of the project as district representative.
Tacoy, who was in Manila during the event, did not allow the groundbreaking since the site was not yet ready and due to the absence of DOH officials.
The DOH intends to build a facility in more areas nationwide to decongest regional and provincial hospitals.
Through these facilities, patients will be able to get a diagnostic exam before being referred to hospitals if needed, answering the gap in the country’s current patient referral system and inequities in healthcare access.
(With report from PNA)
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