DOH brings health package to Palawan’s remotest areas

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — Three of the remotest areas of Palawan that are most disadvantaged when it comes to receiving medical attention got the special treatment they deserved from the Department of Health (DOH) regional office.

DOH-MIMAROPA (Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo led the teams to the far-flung municipalities of Cuyo, Agutaya and Magsaysay in Palawan to assess existing health facilities requiring renovation and improvement and deliver health packages.

“Health services in these areas are critical because of their remote location that is why medical services, medicines and health facilities must be equipped and improved to handle health care,” Dr. Janairo said.

According to the 2010 National Census on Population, the municipality of Cuyo has a total population of 21,847, Magsaysay with 10,885 and Agutaya with 10,422.

“Residents of these areas must be able to conveniently and confidently access services such as primary care, dental care, emergency care and other public health services,” Janairo said.

During his visit in Agutaya, Janairo pledged to the residents that he will provide one emergency vehicle that can be used in transporting a patient from the barangay to the nearest health facility.

Janairo came also for the Community Volunteer Health Worker’s Local Health Conference for the three municipalities wherein the regional office has provided 400 Barangay Health Workers (BHW) kits, 35 Buntis kits and 70 school-based immunization kits, including one ultra-violet (UV) misting machine to be used in eliminating dengue-mosquitoes in the island.

Janairo turned over six mountain bikes for the three towns as well as first aid medicines and vests which will be used by BHWs in the delivery of basic health services in the community.