RESIDENTS of Davao de Oro will soon benefit from zero-billing health services with the establishment of a new Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service (Bucas) Center in Monkayo, where patients will not be charged a single peso for medical consultations, treatment, medicines, and laboratory services.
“This Bucas we are opening in Lamdag has no cashier, which means everything is free,” said Dr. Bryan O. Dalid, medical center chief of the Davao Region Medical Center (DRMC), in Tagum City earlier this week.
The Bucas Center will serve as an extension of DRMC and will rise within the 97-hectare former Lamdag Panginabuhian Center in Barangay Pasian, Monkayo. It is envisioned to bring accessible and fully subsidized health services closer to the province’s residents.
Governor Raul Mabanglo emphasized that the initiative is made possible through strong collaboration among DRMC, the Office of 1st District Rep. Maricar Zamora-Mabanglo, the Provincial Government, the Department of Health-Davao, and the local government of Monkayo.
“It is impossible for the province alone to sustain this kind of project. We need the full support and cooperation of our government health agencies. But what we promise is real zero-billing — no patient will be charged for any service,” Mabanglo stressed during the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on August 15.
The BUCAS facility is expected to boost healthcare access in Davao de Oro, especially for residents in far-flung areas, by offering urgent care and outpatient services free of cost.
With this initiative, the provincial government of Davao de Oro is pushing forward its new governance platform of building a “healthy government”, one that prioritizes health and ensures that quality medical services are made free and accessible to every resident.
Mabanglo had earlier underscored this vision during his assumption of office, declaring that his administration would make health the foundation of development and a key pillar of his leadership agenda. DEF