The Department of Health-Negros Island Region (DOH-NIR) unveiled on Tuesday the first mall-based wellness clinic in the Visayas at SM City Bacolod to bring essential health services closer to Negrenses.
The launching of the healthcare facility was led by Health Undersecretary Mary Ann Maestral, Mayor Greg Gasataya, Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) chief Dr. Joan Cerrada, and SM City Bacolod public relations manager May Castro.
“It is with great pride and gratitude that we officially launch one of the largest DOH wellness clinics in the country located here at SM City Bacolod. This clinic is the second of its kind in the Philippines and we are proud to say that it now stands as a model of innovation and collaboration,” Maestral said.
The first in-a-mall DOH wellness hub is located at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
The SM City Bacolod facility occupies a 52-square meter space within the Government Service Express Center at the third floor of the mall’s north wing.
“We will pattern this wellness clinic according to the needs of the people of Bacolod and Negros Occidental. Together, we are breaking barriers between healthcare and the people we serve,” Maestral added.
The wellness center offers comprehensive services such as general and obstetrics and gynecology consultations, preventive and wellness promotion activities, and teleconsulting.
It also has an area for mental health and a kids’ corner.
DOH-NIR Regional Director Razel Nikka Hao said the wellness center at SM City Bacolod, which initially operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., will be managed by the CLMMRH.
“This is more than just a physical space. It is a shift in how we do public health. From reactive to preventive, from illness to wellness. We bring primary care where people are, in a mall. In a space that is accessible, familiar, and frequented,” she added.
Hao said medical specialists from CLMMRH are assigned for duty at the wellness clinic on specific hours.
DOH healthcare workers are deployed for general screening and nutrition services with assistance from students of various nursing schools in Bacolod, she added.
Castro said it is a privilege and an honor for SM City Bacolod to host the DOH wellness clinic.
“At SM, we believe that health is a basic right. This is why we continue to open our spaces to initiatives like the DOH Wellness Clinic because when we bring healthcare closer to where people already are, we break down the barriers that often prevent them from seeking help,” Castro said.
Meanwhile, Gasataya said the city government welcomes and supports any program of the national government through the DOH for the people of Bacolod.
“Everything, we will do it to show that we will continue to be partners with the DOH,” he added. ||
