Governor Sol Aragones has ordered the immediate release of available provincial funds to purchase much-needed medicines for Laguna’s nine district hospitals, following reports of out-of-stock supplies.

The announcement came after Aragones received updated inventory reports Tuesday confirming medicine shortages in district hospitals.

“I have instructed the release of funds so we can restock essential medicines in our district hospitals,” Aragones said in an interview.

“We cannot allow our indigent patients to suffer simply because basic medications are unavailable.”

On Monday, Aragones met with the Provincial Health Board, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) officials, and newly appointed Provincial Health Consultant and former Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Dr. Enrique Tayag.

During the meeting, the governor confirmed that funds remain available for procurement, based on consultations with the Provincial Budget Officer.

The governor also called on PhilHealth to collaborate more closely with the province, citing Bataan as an example where hospitals function more efficiently through stronger PhilHealth support.

“I am appealing for your cooperation so we can better serve the poorest of the poor,” she said, adding that documentation issues such as missing birth certificates can be addressed swiftly with assistance from other provincial agencies.

Prior to these developments, DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa joined Aragones in inspecting the Laguna Medical Center in Santa Cruz and the Jose P. Rizal Memorial Hospital in Calamba City. Their visit aimed to assess the condition of facilities and identify areas where the DOH can support the upgrading of medical equipment and infrastructure in district hospitals across Laguna. (PNA)