To make rural health facilities and services available and endeavor to develop them as diagnostic centers for residents, the Department of Health in Calabarzon conducted a three-day Collaborative Planning Workshop on Quality Operational Management at the Bayleaf Hotel in General Trias City, Cavite.
As a result, residents could conveniently and confidently access primary care, dental care, emergency care, and other public health services in the region.
“We must also encourage patients to patronize health facilities in their communities to avoid the discomfort of having to travel to health facilities located outside their municipalities and lessen unnecessary expenses,” said DOH Regional Director Eduardo Janairo.
The workshop was led by the Health Facility Operation and Development Unit created by Janairo, with the prime purpose of providing technical assistance on standard requirements for physical plant, equipment, and human resource compliment.
The unit aims to find measures to help in the compliance for eventual licensure and accreditation toward achieving functional and equitable service delivery network.
Dr. Susana C. Castillo, head of HFODU for City Health Offices, Rural Health Units, Barangay Health Stations and other Health Facilities in the region, said the three-day activity identified the gaps in the operations of rural health facilities and prioritized actions to be taken to address these gaps.
The regional office is taking steps to augment the health human resource in areas needing doctors, nurses, midwives, medical technologists, and other health personnel through a partnership with private sectors, Castillo said.
As of 2019, the region has a total of licensed 26 birthing homes, 14 Primary Care Package, 11 TB-DOTS Centers, 8 Animal Bite Treatment Centers, 10 Maternity Care Package providers and 5 clinical laboratories.
The province of Cavite consists of 16 municipalities: Alfonso. Amadeo, Carmona, General Emilio Aguinaldo, General Mariano Alvarez, Indang, Kawit, Magallanes, Maragondon, Mendez, Naic, Noveleta, Rosario, Silang, Tanza, and Ternate, with a total population of 4,187,538.
The participants in the event are City Health Offices, Rural Health Units and Barangay Health Stations of Cavite Province for the licensing and accreditation of health services of rural health units.