DOH to modernize barangay primary care centers

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 1)— Health Secretary Ted Herbosa plans to modernize primary care centers at the barangay level to address the “inequity” of health services among poor families.

“So, imo-modernize natin ang primary care, magtatayo tayo ng mga ambulatory care center na kumpleto ang laboratoryo, kumpleto ang mga gamot...ang mga imaging. Para 'yung mga tao hindi na magsisiksikan doon sa mga malalaking hospitals,” Herbosa said during a media briefing on Monday.

[Translation: We will modernize our primary care, we'll be putting ambulatory care centers that have complete laboratories, medicines, and imaging services. So that the people won’t flock to big hospitals anymore.]

He said the agency wanted to make this plan a complementary type of health station in all local areas including rural health units.

The health secretary also noted that they have improved the bed capacities of hospitals, which is why they will now be targeting to enhance the health facilities in areas where people find it hard to visit regional hospitals.

Part of the DOH’s priorities for 2024 is to raise the immunization rate of children below five years of age, and also lower the rate of under-nutrition from 27% to as low as 15%, he added.

The health chief said additionally, the DOH aims to address and monitor maternal mortality, teenage pregnancy, HIV cases, and non-communicable diseases such as high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, and cancer in the country.

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“Ang tutok natin yung ambulatory health care natin lalagyan natin ng teenage health clinic para mapuntahan ng ating kabataan na may problema sa kalusugan,” he added.

[Translation: Our target also is to put teenage health clinics in ambulatory health care centers so the youth will be able to consult experts about their health problems.]