Friday, September 08, 2006
Benguet health office avails of Japanese aid to improve services
TO IMPROVE the delivery of health services to the public, the Benguet Provincial Health Office is embarking on a five-year health program in coordination with the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The project, which started its initial implementation this year, focuses on the provision of equipment to the district hospitals in the province and on the expansion of PhilHealth coverage to indigent families, among others.
Dr. Esteban Piok, Benguet provincial health officer, said the five-year undertaking is covered by a memorandum of agreement entered between the province, representatives of JICA and the Department of Health, and focuses on the provision of technical support to local health institutions.
"This project, which is aimed to strengthen the local health system for Benguet, was conceptualized as early as 2000," said Piok.
For its initial implementation, the program would concentrate on the provision of medical equipment to the rural health units and district hospitals. Such would include devices for the preservation of vaccines and other machineries needed in hospitals.
Benguet has five district hospitals, namely the Atok District Hospital, the Dennis Molintas Memorial Hospital, the Abatan Emergency Hospital, the Kapangan Medicare & Community Hospital and the Itogon Municipal Hospital.
The expansion of PhilHealth benefits to indigents is also among the benefits that would be given to Benguet constituents.
The program also aims for the accreditation of out-patient departments of the RHUs to PhilHealth so that indigent patients, who are PhilHealth members, could avail of benefits such as discounts from the OPDs. (JC)
(September 8, 2006 issue)
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