SAMAL, Bataan — Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go led the groundbreaking rites on Thursday for the P10-million Super Rural Health Unit building here, the third in the province after Dinalupihan and Mariveles towns.
“Ang Super Rural Health Center is a medium type of polyclinic na mas malaki lang sa rural health unit at mas maliit sa ospital. Ang super health unit ay pwedeng paglagyan ng birthing o panganganak, pwede din dental, laboratory, X-ray, pwede din ang pagbabakuna hindi lang po kontra Covid kundi pati na rin sa tigdas,” the senator explained.
Go emphasized that the super health units will be of big help. He said that he observed in his visit to the provinces, many 4th to 6th class municipalities have no capacity to put up health centers.
But now under a bill he authored, he said, these municipalities will have super health centers of their own. “Sa tulong ng mga kasamahan ko sa kongreso, naisakatuparan itong super health center para ilapit natin ang serbisyong medical sa ating mga kababayan.”
“Buntis pwede nang manganak dito, hindi na nila kailangan magbiyahe pa sa napakalayong mga ospital. Minsan nanganganak na lang sa tricycle o sa jeepney yung mga buntis dahil malayo ang ospital,” Go said.
He said the super health units will help decongest the hospitals because pregnant women need not go to the hospital.
Go said that for year 2022, there were 307 super health centers in the country and by 2023, the total is 322 with seven to be built in Bataan.
The senator, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, thanked Representatives Geraldine Roman, Albert Garcia, and Maria Angela Garcia of the 1st , 2nd , and 3rd districts respectively for their help in the passage in 2021 of a bill establishing super health units.
He said the Department of Health implements the project and turn over to the local government unit the building once completed.
Samal Mayor Alex Acuzar thanked Go and the DOH for the project. “Napakaswerte ng bayan ng Samal kasi hindi lahat ng bayan ay nabibiyayaan ng ganitong imprastraktura, itong ating super health center. Napakahalaga ng super health center na ito kasi malaki ang maitutulong nito sa ating mga kababayan.”
“Ang mga kababayan natin ay deserve nila ang right care. Dapat ang ating mga health centers ay may kakayahan na magbigay ng mga serbisyong pangkalusugan. Ito yung mga treatment, rehabilitation at ang pinakaimportante sa lahat ay yung prevention at saka ng health promotion,” the mayor said.
Dr. Ryan James Suguitan, officer-in-charge of the Samal Municipal Health Office, thanked Senator Go, Mayor Acuzar, DOH and retired municipal health officer Dr. Cristina Espino “for unending support.”
“Ang Samal Super Health Center ay isang programa ng DOH upang mabigyan pa ng mas magandang serbisyo lalo na sa mga bayan na nangangailangan ng magandang health center,” the doctor explained.
“Ito ay mayroong OPD services, dental, lying-in at kasama din dito mayroon tayong chest X-ray at ultrasound rooms. Kasama dito mas maganda ang rooms, mas malaki upang mas mapaganda ang serbisyo lalo na sa mga Samaleño,” Suguitan said.
Suguitan added that DOH budgeted the building for the Samal Super Health Unit for P10 million. He said that an additional amount of P2M is needed for the equipment. The LGU shares in the lot.
“Tunay na ang kalusugan ay kayamanan. Salamat at napili ang Samal na isa sa pagtayuan ng super rural health center. Gagawa ang sangguniang bayan ng ordinansa upang lalong maging maayos ang operasyon nito,” Samal Vice Mayor Ronnie Ortiguerra said.
Also in attendance at the groundbreaking were Gov. Jose Enrique Garcia 3rd, 1st District board member Tony Roman, councilor Erval Flores, Samal SB committee on health, and other SB members, and DOH Region 3 officials.
