Governor Lilia G. Pineda lauded the national government through the Department of Health (DOH) for its generous assistance and support in the construction, repair, expansion and equipping of district hospitals and rural health units in Pampanga.
Thus said the governor in her message during the provincial health summit held at King’s Royale Promenade in Bacolor town as she stressed that without the assistance of the DOH, the provincial government would not succeed in the implementation of health programs as the health department has been providing funding support to district hospitals and rural health units from 2010 to the present.
Pineda extended her gratitude to the officials of DOH who graced the one-day summit led by Undersecretaries Dr. David Lozada, Jr., Dr. Gerardo Bayugo, Director Jovencio Ordona and Regional Director Leonita Gorgolon, among others.
Bayugo reported that through the DOH health facilities enhancement project, the province received P118,100,000 funding assistance in 2010 for the repair and expansion of Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Hospital in Guagua, the Ricardo P. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in the City of San Fernando and the San Luis District Hospital in San Luis including the construction of three-storey buildings in both the Dr. Emigdio Cruz, Sr. Memorial Hospital in Arayat and Jose B. Lingad General Memorial Hospital in the City of San Fernando.
Of the total amount given in 2010, P92,600,000 were allotted for infrastructure development and P25,000,000 for equipping facilities.
In 2011, Bayugo said that P5 million were provided for the repair and expansion of Dr. Emigdio Cruz Sr. Memorial Hospital in Arayat and another P5 million for the expansion, repair including renovation and equipping of Magalang District Hospital in Magalang.
More so, rural health units in Angeles City, Apalit, Candaba, Macabebe, Masantol, Mexico, City of San Fernando, Sta. Ana and Sta. Rita were provided with a total of P32 million for their expansion, repair, renovation and equipping projects.
He added that this year, more than P33 million will be given to Macabebe and Porac District Hospitals.
Bayugo explained that the health facilities enhancement project is one of the strategies of the Kalusugan Pangkalahatan program of the national government which aims to provide deliberate focus on the poor to ensure that they are able to access affordable and quality health care and services in times of need.
During the summit, Governor Lilia G. Pineda, together with the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and the Pampanga Mayors’ League signed the joint declaration of commitment to the “Kalusugan Pangkalahatan” program and ensure that every Filipino is healthy and productive.
Close to 500 municipal mayors, chiefs of district hospitals, rural health units’ physicians and nurses and health workers from the provincial, municipal and barangay levels participated in the summit sponsored by the provincial government through the initiative of Board Member Monina Laus who chairs the health committee of the provincial board. (Erlinda T. Yutuc, Pampanga PIO)
