Caluya town put priority on health services
SAN JOSE, Antique -- This island Municipality in the northernmost tip of the province made health services a top priority making medicines, health facilities and service providers available to the island barangays, said Diosdado Egina, Vice Mayor of Caluya.
Mayor Reynante Lim Sr. appropriated a budget duly approved by the Sangguniang Bayan for the improvement of health centers, hiring of additional health service providers and purchase of medicines to meet the needs of indigent families in the island, said Ann M. Calinog, Municipal Information Officer.
Aside from the regular budget the town has allocated an additional P300,000.00 from the 20% development fund to purchase medicines for indigent families, P400,000.00 for the operations of the Rural Health Unit (RHU) including purchase of medical supplies and P500,000.00 for other non-office expenditures including salaries and wages of casual midwives and other heath service providers assigned in Barangay Health Centers.
Of the seven health centers three have completed renovations namely Barangay Dawis which has P250,000.00, Barangay Banago P35,000.00 and P1.2 million for the rural health center in mainland Caluya. Health centers located in Barangays Sabang, Bacong, Sibato and Sibolo are subject for repair this year, said Calinog.
The town has also participated in Garantisadong Pambata activities last April which include immunization, Vitamin A supplementation among others to improve the nutritional status of children in the island.
The RHU has recorded seven cases of Malaria in Barangay Alegria this year. Due to this, the local officials implemented environmental sanitary measures like designation of municipal dumping sites for waste/garbage, daily regular clean up to eliminate mosquitoes and treatment of mosquito nets in household.
In line with the government's battle cry " Alagaan ang Kalusugan" the Municipal government requested DOH for an additional doctor due to increasing demands of quality health services for the people in the island, Calinog said. (PS Mabaquiao/PIA)