The 28 state-of-the-art Bagong Pilipinas mobile clinics will bring immediate and high-quality healthcare services to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) nationwide, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Friday.
Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos led the turnover of the 28 Bagong Pilipinas mobile clinics in a ceremony at the Manila North Harbor Port in the city of Manila.
In his speech, Marcos lamented that people from underserved and remote areas in the country have limited access to healthcare.
“Para sa ating mga nakatira sa lungsod o bayan, madaling sabihin na ang pagpunta sa ospital o sa clinic ay isang mabilis na biyahe lamang. Pero sa ibang bahagi ng bansa, ang pagpunta dito ay parang isang masalimuot na paglalakbay (For those of us who live in the city or town, it’s easy to say that going to the hospital or the clinic is just a quick trip. But in other parts of the country, getting there is like a complicated journey),” Marcos said.
“Minsan, kinakailangan pang sumakay ng bangka, maglakad ng ilang oras, magdasal na sana’y makarating ng ligtas, at magbabayad pa ng pamasahe. Dito natin makikita na hindi lang distansya ang kalaban kung hindi ang oras, ang pagod, ang gutom, ang pangamba, at ang gastos (Sometimes, they need to take a boat, walk for several hours, pray that they will arrive safely, and pay the fare. Here, we can see that the enemy is not just distance but time, fatigue, hunger, fear, and expenses),” he added.
Marcos said the donation of the new mobile clinics is part of the government’s extensive and long-term plan under the 8-point action agenda to improve the health sector in the country.
He said the mobile clinics, equipped with medical equipment, would serve as an innovative solution to provide essential health services to Filipinos.
“Sa pamamagitan ng mga mobile clinic at sa tulong ng lokal na pamahalaan, inaasahan natin na mapapalapit ang serbisyong medikal sa mga lugar na matagal nang nangangailang ng higit na atensyon, ang mga geographically isolated and disadvantaged area o ‘yung tinatawag natin na GIDA (Through the mobile clinics and with the help of the local government, we hope to bring medical services closer to areas that have long needed more attention, the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas or what we call GIDA),” Marcos said.
During the event, Marcos distributed the deed of donations to 28 recipient provinces of the Bagong Pilipinas Mobile Clinics.
The recipient provinces are Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao de Oro, South Cotabato, and North Cotabato.
Other provinces that will have a mobile clinic include Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
Marcos also witnessed the send-off of the first 14 mobile clinics bound for Cagayan de Oro City via roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel.
The remaining vehicles will be transported to General Santos City the following day.
Spearheaded by the Department of Health, the mobile clinics are equipped with various medical equipment such as a digital x-ray machine, portable ultrasound machine, hematology analyzer, chemistry analyzer, binocular microscope, clinical centrifuge and a generator set. (PNA)
