The Department of Health’s Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service (BUCAS) center in Tubao, La Union has so far served 123,252 patients from June 2024 to May 2026.

BUCAS centers provide outpatient consultations, diagnostic services, laboratory examinations and pharmacy services to address common health concerns.

“For two years, it has provided quality, accessible, and compassionate care to thousands of patients, proving that no Filipino should be left behind when it comes to health services,” DOH Ilocos Region director Paula Paz Sydiongco said in a statement Friday.

The Tubao center is the second in Ilocos Region. The other center is in Banna, Ilocos Norte.

Sydiongco said the facility addresses the health needs of patients at the community level, integrating care, prevention, promotion and education.

The center serves as the middle ground between primary care physicians and hospital emergency departments.

Since it helps reduce congestion in emergency rooms, hospitals can now focus more on critical cases.

“Primary health care facilities in the region will continue to be strengthened to ensure equity and access to health care services to achieve universal health coverage,” Sydiongco said. (PNA)