The Department of Health-Eastern Visayas (DOH-8) opened its first Super Health Center in the region in San Roque, Northern Samar as part of the government’s effort to boost universal healthcare and to decongest hospitals.

In a statement on Tuesday, DOH Eastern Visayas Regional Director Exuperia Sabalberino said the PHP10 million facility is the first of its kind in the region.

“The Super Health Centers aim to bridge the country’s existing rural health unit network to upper-level health facilities such as hospitals, clinics, dialysis centers, etc. Through this, local communities will now have access to diagnostic facilities, laboratories, X-ray and ultrasound, among others,” Sabalberino said.

Patients will now be able to get a diagnostic exam before being referred to hospitals if needed, answering the gap in the country’s current patient referral system and inequities in healthcare access.

“With the inter-local health zone, patients will be able to get a diagnostic before being admitted or referred to the hospitals. We need to organize the province-wide referral network,” Sabalberino added.

The DOH said there are 16 Super Health Centers launched in the region last year. The first to be completed is the one in San Roque town inaugurated on Feb. 7, 2023.

Among those undergoing construction are the San Ricardo in Southern Leyte; Calbiga in Samar; Bato, Kananga, Alangalang and Carigara in Leyte province.

The DOH intends to build a facility in each town nationwide to decongest regional and provincial hospitals. Each center costs about P10 million to build.

As per the mandate of the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) to support the Philippine Health Agenda “Boosting Universal Health Care”, the HFEP has committed to providing funds to local government over the coming years for the establishment of health infrastructure and medical equipment. (PNA)