Residents of Villaba, Leyte and nearby towns no longer have to travel far to avail of quality health services provided at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in this city with the soon-to-open extension of the regional hospital.

The Department of Health (DOH) inaugurated on Jan. 4, 2020, PHP25-million primary health care facility that will soon cater to outpatient services, diagnostic tests, and consultation services from specialized doctors.

DOH 8 (Eastern Visayas) information officer John Paul Roca said on Wednesday the Villaba Polyclinic is an extension facility of the EVRMC, the region’s largest hospital. It aims to bring quality health services to remote areas in the northwestern part of Leyte.

“This is the answer to the sentiments of the people who find it hard to look for better hospitals to seek medical check-ups. It has a consultation, laboratory, and minor operating rooms and will eventually have a birthing facility in the next phase,” Roca said.

The DOH will provide medical equipment and manpower, with some doctors from the EVRMC conducting weekly consultations once the health facility becomes fully-operational within the first quarter of 2020.

During the inauguration, Leyte 3rd District Rep. Vicente Veloso said the realization of the Villaba polyclinic is a necessity for the health concerns of people in the third district after the town’s community hospital was closed in 2017.

“This is the first step for providing the basic health services in the far-flung districts without spending much time and resources in going to other places to access immediate medical attention,” Veloso said, adding that he requested additional funds to further develop the facility.

The Villaba Polyclinic is located in Cabungahan village, constructed on a 1.5-hectare land donated by the Veloso family. The town is about 97 km. northwest of Tacloban City, the regional capital. (PNA)