About 79,000 residents of Mangatarem town in Pangasinan are expected to benefit from the Super Health Center, which has broken ground in Barangay (village) Umangan.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Ilocos Region information officer Esperanza Tinaza said the PHP12-million health center, which commenced on Jan. 10, is funded under the Department of Health–Health Facilities Enhancement Program (DOH-HFEP) under the 2024 national budget. It is expected to be finished within the year.

“It is envisioned as a state-of-the-art polyclinic, which aims to improve healthcare access for residents of Mangatarem and neighboring towns. Spanning a total building area of 611 square meters, the health center offers a comprehensive range of medical services,” she said in a statement Thursday.

The health facility will have a pharmacy and specialized medical areas such as a clinical laboratory, dental clinic, ultrasound and electrocardiogram facilities, consultation areas, rooms for X-ray, birthing, and minor surgical, among others, she added.

DOH Ilocos Region director Paula Paz Sydiongco, in a separate statement, said the center is designed to address primary health concerns, minor medical cases, and non-critical conditions.

“There are two rural health units in the municipality of Mangatarem that cater to 79,000 population and with this new additional Super Health Center, the gap in the primary care is bridged, and it also aids the secondary and tertiary hospital in the town in attending to the further needs of the patients,” she said. (PNA)