DOH, Pasig City officials launch new Radiation and Oncology Center at Rizal Medical Center

To provide cancer patients with the best possible health outcomes Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Singh-vergeire, together with Rizal Medical Center (RMC) Chief Dr. Maria Rica Lumague and other officials, on Tuesday led the launching ceremony of the new Radiation and oncology Center located at Rizal Medical Center, Pasig City.

“Moving forward, it is our mission to build on these gains and ensure that as we tread the path towards Universal Health Care, more of our public hospitals will be able to acquire radiation therapy equipment, and ultimately have the capability to provide cancer patients with the best possible health outcomes—at par with private institutions,” Vergeire said.

The event highlighted the launching of the Linear Accelerator and High-dose brachytherapy treatment to support radiotherapy services, which will significantly contribute to the public health sector.

Expands treatment options

SPECIFICALLY, establishing the availability and in turn increasing access to linear accelerators which offer external beam radiation treatments which expands current treatment options for patients with cancer through targeted therapy while sparing surrounding normal cells.

Similarly, with the addition of brachytherapy, cancer patients such as those with prostate cancer are afforded a wider range of targeted treatment approaches.

Further, it is the Doh’s objective to ensure that these specialized services are not only confined to specific regions, but can easily be reached by any Filipino, anywhere in the country.

“Rest assured that the DOH will never tire in its commitment to expand our work on cancer elimination— through system strengthening, health promotion, and service delivery,” said Vergeire.