DAVAO CITY–A newly-refurbished health station in Davao City’s most populated village is seen to provide better health services to more or less 160,000 residents.
“What is good in this renovation of Rural Health Station designed by SM Foundation is the Senior Citizens Center and Kids Center,” Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said during the turnover on Friday.
Mayor Sara expressed gratitude to SM Foundation. Inc. (SMFI) and Rotary Club Pag-asa, which helped fund the rehabilitation of the facility in Talomo North District which now features a garden to help the patients relax.
The SIR-1 Rural Health Station located in this city’s biggest village, in terms of area and population, is a primary health center with seven sub-centers catering to over 160,000 individuals in seven barangays.
With the upgrade, the center now has a Felicidad Sy Wellness Center for children and the elderly, reception and waiting area, pharmacy (medical storage area), expanded laboratory, dental room, family planning room, breastfeeding/vaccination area, doctors’ consultation room, supply room, nurses’ room, TB-Dots section, birthing facility and improved comfort rooms.
The facility even qualifies for three PhilHealth Accreditation such as Primary Health Care Package, Maternity Care Benefit Package, TB Dots.
Its laboratory was also expanded and upgraded to meet DOH standards for Level-1 accreditation. A Genexpert testing area was added for TB diagnosis and resistance. Genexpert is a molecular test for TB which diagnoses TB by detecting the presence of TB bacteria as well as testing for resistance to the drug Rifampicin.
The birthing center was restored and equipped to make it fully operational and pass PhilHealth accreditation.
Duterte-Carpio said the assistance on the repair of the facility is a big help for the people in the city especially the residents of Barangay 76-A and the whole Talomo North District.
She urged the residents to use the Family Planning Section of the health station in guiding them on how to plan their future their family.
SMFI Executive Director for Health and Medical Records Connie Angeles said the Davao facility is the 142nd health station in the country that the foundation has assisted.
“This is one of our projects, to improve, refurbish and renovate health centers that need assistance for them to be PhilHealth accredited, “Angeles said.
Angeles said there is no need for the residents to go to the hospitals since most services are already available in the health station.
“We are helping to decongest the hospitals,” she said, adding that the aid will not end in the renovation because the foundation will be assisting in the maintenance of the health station to ensure the project will last.
Angeles said the rural health unit was the fourth health facility that SMFI has renovated in the Davao Region.
Barangay Captain Rolando Trajera said the health center will help them strengthen their health education campaign, especially on dengue cases and the importance of sanitation. (Armando Fenequito Jr. and Digna Banzon/PNA)
