CHO – to expand health services through the district
Koronadal’s City Health Office (CHO) is set to extend its health services in its 27 barangays using a district approach. It consists of three (3) districts-CHO which serves as the main district, Barangay Gen. Paulino Santos (GPS) and Concepcion.
CHO physician Dr Stephen Mortera presented the rationale of the program to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the city’s government health services. It is also a way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases if it occurs in a certain area.
OIC-City Health Officer Dr. Edito Vego is pleased with the program. Apart from the expansion of health aids, his desire to bring health services closer to the community especially to the grassroots level will also be fulfilled.
Vego further said that rural health districts will not only make services more convenient and more accessible for Koronadaleños, but will also improve health facilities and break down health centers and at the same time transform rural health stations.
Meanwhile, City Mayor Eliordo Ogena assured the public that all local facilities including health were among his top priorities as he wanted to provide quality services to his constituency just like the services provided by private hospitals. He wants to break people’s traditional habit of going to the doctor for a check-up only when they are sick.
Being chosen as one of the centers of the rural health district, Barangay Captain Margarita Subaldo of Gen. Paulino Santos (GPS) expressed her appreciation for the program. She said that it will be a great privilege to the patient that they will not be required to go to the center for medication. With this project, the barangay official is seeking unity with barangays in their district.
Barangay Captain Mema Joquiño of Concepcion which is also a recipient of the same signified her support to the said projects. Though she understands that being a center of services comes with a responsibility, however, it could also be an opportunity not only for her barangay but also for those neighboring barangays under the same cluster.
Further, the clustered barangays are the following:
Main District:
Assumption
Mambucal
Paraiso
San Isidro
Sta. Cruz
Sto. Niño
Zone III
Zone IV
Saravia
GPS District:
Zone I
Zone II
Avanceña
Caloocan
Mabini
Morales
Namnama
Rotonda
San Jose
Concepcion District:
New Pangasinan
San Roque
Magsaysay
Carpenter Hill
Cacub
Esperanza
To adopt the establishment and implementation of the health districting system in the city, Mayor Eliordo Ogena passed and signed an Executive Order (EO) 79, witnessed by the barangay captains.
Congressman Ferdinand Hernandez of South Cotabato 2nd District, City Councilor Annabelle Pingoy- Chairperson on Committee on Health, DOH XII Regional Director Aristides Tan together with other city councilors were among the guests of honor during the launching program.