Extensive health program pushed for Mt Province

SABANGAN, Mountain Province – Government programs, like those on health, should reach remote barangays in this landlocked province through the consolidated effort of concerned officials.

This was bared by congressional bet Jupiter “Jup” Dominguez who added the identification of beneficiaries of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation must be left out to the provincial and municipal social welfare and development offices to prevent the same from being used to advance the political ambitions of some greedy politicians.

According to him, the provision of health benefits to indigent people in the rural areas of the country is an institutionalized program of the government, thus, it is not a political initiative of provincial and municipal officials since it will always be implemented even without the hand of ambitious local officials.

If the interference of politicians to the identification of beneficiaries for the sponsored health program,

Dominguez said numerous indigent individuals will surely be covered by the program even if they have different political inclinations since health is a basic need of the people which must not be deprived from them.

The former mayor of this town will work for the expansion of maternal health care for the numerous rural health centers in the different barangays so that the maternal needs of the residents, especially those distant from the hospitals, will be given immediate attention in order to prevent and reduce the loss of lives due to complicated maternal health problems.

Dominguez said appropriate funding support must also be extended to the expansion of medical equipment and facilities to district and provincial hospitals so that the local health units will be able to attend to the health needs of the people instead of spending more just to seek immediate medical attention in bigger hospitals outside the province.

To ensure that people will have good health, the former local chief executive belies the national and local governments must be willing to invest in supporting the desire of rural communities to have sufficient sources of potable water in all the barangays of the province since water is one of the basic needs of people.

Another basic need of people in the far flung communities which must be given preferential attention by the government is the provision of cheaper medicines to the people, thus, the need to download the establishment of Botika ng Barangay stores to all the barangays so that residents will have easy access to cheaper medicines.

Dominguez cited appropriate representation and funding support must be given to ensure that cheaper medicines through the Botika ng Barangay will be enjoyed by the people of Mountain province, especially when they need them, thus, it will be done through responsible prioritization of social services without sacrificing infrastructure development. -- Dexter A. See