With the aim to provide accessible healthcare to Filipinos, the Department of Health turned over six (6) Bagong Pilipinas Mobile Clinics to Bicol region provinces on July 16, 2024 at Taal Vista Hotel, Tagaytay City.
The province of Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon each received a unit which is part of the 83 medical buses to be deployed nationwide.
First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos and Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa represented by Undersecretary Glenn Matthew G. Baggao together with Undersecretary Emmie Liza Perez-Chiong, Assistant Secretary Ariel I. Valencia, and Assistant Secretary Paolo S. Teston led the turn over of the mobile clinics.
The Bagong Pilipinas Mobile Clinics will provide immediate and inclusive access on health services to far-flung and underserved communities especially in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA).
DOH Bicol Regional Director Dr. Rodolfo Antonio Albornoz said that as the region aims to achieve the Health Action Agenda no. 1 𝑩𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒕 𝑷𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒐, 𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒅𝒂𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝒌𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒖𝒈𝒂𝒏, the Bagong Pilipinas mobile clinics’ delivery of a more accessible primary healthcare will definitely contribute to the promise of the Universal Health Care Law.
According to him, each mobile clinic offers innovative primary healthcare infrastructure equipped with diagnostic and imaging tools such as X-ray machine and ultrasound machine; tools for laboratory examination such as hematology analyzer; equipment for eye examination and more.
This innovation is in response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for reforms in the country’s healthcare system through strengthening primary health care services. Further, the mobile clinics are inspired by the Lab For All Project of the First Lady that is aimed at bringing healthcare closer to the Filipinos.
Among the key officials of the six provincial government units who received the mobile clinics were Albay Governor Atty. Edcel “Grex” Lagman, Camarines Norte Provincial Health Officer Dr. Arnel Francisco, Camarines Sur Vice Governor Salvio Patrick Fortuno, Catanduanes Provincial Health Officer Dr. Hazel Palmes, Sorsogon Provincial Health Officer Dr. Renato Bolo, Jr. and Mr. Henry Dacdac, the Senior Administrative Officer of the Masbate Provincial Health Office.
(Source: DOH Bicol CHD)