Legarda Pushes for Strengthened Health Care System in Antique during National Hospital Week

In celebration of the National Hospital Week, Deputy Speaker and Lone District of Antique Representative Loren Legarda assured her kasimanwa that she will continue to provide Antiqueños with quality health care services and to address issues that affect their health and well-being.

“This health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic calls for a stronger and more effective healthcare system. We have to continue to improve the health facilities in the province to ensure that Antiqueños have access to quality, safe, and affordable health services, especially by the indigents in our communities,” Legarda said.

Legarda ensured that adequate support was allocated for the upgrading of health facilities in Antique. The projects include the Department of Health’s (DOH) Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) for the construction and expansion of various hospitals: Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital, Culasi District Hospital, Justice Calixto O. Zaldivar Memorial Hospital, Bugasong Medicare Community Hospital, Pedro L. Gindap Municipal Hospital, President Diosdado Macapagal District Hospital, Ramon Maza Sr. Memorial District Hospital, and Valderrama Municipal Hospital.

The construction of rural health units in Barbaza, Belison, Bugasong, Caluya, Culasi, Hamtic, Laua-an, Libertad, Pandan, Patnongon, San Jose, San Remigio, Sebaste, Sibalom, Tibiao, Tobias Fornier, and Valderrama, and barangay health stations in Belison, Hamtic, and Libertad was also implemented. Support for hospital equipment under HFEP as well as for the procurement of ambulance and multicabs that served as barangay responders under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) was provided.

Antiqueños were also able to access medical assistance for their hospitalization, laboratory fees and medicines through the DOH Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP) program, and as of June 2020, 32,324 patients already benefitted from MAIP. MAIP is available in the 9 hospitals in Antique as well as in West Visayas University Medical Center in La Paz, Iloilo City; Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao, Iloilo City; and Rafael Tumbokon General Hospital in Kalibo, Aklan.

Aside from this, DOH Pharmaceutical Management Program, through Legarda’s initiative, will also implement the Botika ng Bayan program and procure medicines and supplies for medical missions, and for distribution in the rural health units. Under the Botika ng Bayan program, 11 pharmacists have already been hired under the RHUs.

Legarda also made it a personal mission to eradicate the problem of open defecation in the communities to further improve sanitation and protect the health of her kasimanwa, through the delivery of thousands of much-needed sanitary toilets.

Meanwhile, as the country continues to fight against COVID 19, Legarda urged the Provincial Government of Antique to consider establishing a RT-PCR Testing Laboratory, which aims to improve the testing capacity of the province, fill in the gap in the local health care system, and enable them to respond more quickly to probable COVID-19 cases.

“Quality healthcare is one of the basic rights of the people that is often being neglected. As a public servant, it is my responsibility to ensure that each and every Antiqueño gets quality and adequate health care services, especially those in the far-flung communities and the poorest of the poor. We have to give utmost priority to the health of the people because it contributes significantly to how they can be productive members of our communities,” Legarda concluded.#