The Department of Health-Negros Island Region Center for Health Development (DOH-NIR CHD) said it has officially granted a license to operate (LTO) to the Isabela Primary Care Facility (PCF), through its Regulation, Licensing and Enforcement Division.
This makes the Isabela PCF the first licensed primary care facility in the 5th District of Negros Occidental and the 19th in the Negros Island Region, which expands access to quality healthcare services in the area, the DOH said.
It added that it continues to prioritize the licensing of primary care facilities as part of the Universal Health Care roadmap, aiming to provide timely health services closer to communities.
Acting RLED chief Mary Junillee Araño, representing DOH-NIR director, Dr. Razel Nikka Hao, led the handing over of the LTO, and emphasized that the license signifies a commitment to ensuring that every community has access to safe, efficient, and quality primary care.
To foster collaboration and ensure the efficient implementation of super health centers and other health facilities in the region, assistant DOH-NIR director Adrian Hort Ramos also led a coordination meeting with local chief executives (LCEs) of Murcia and E.B. Magalona in Negros Occidental recently.
Conducted in partnership with the Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP), the meeting was attended by HFEP engineer Engr. Wilnar Miole, who provided technical updates and progress reports on ongoing and upcoming infrastructure projects.
Discussions focused on the readiness of various health facilities for DOH certification for PCF licensing. Site validation, construction progress, and the crucial role of LGUs in ensuring the operational readiness of these facilities were also tackled.
In E.B. Magalona, the team was joined by the Provincial Health Office of Negros Occidental, led by Dr. Girlie Pinongan, to discuss the readiness of the E.B. Magalona Rural Health Unit in becoming a PCF.
Ramos, together with representatives from the Department of Public Works and Highways, also conducted checked the ongoing construction of a super health center in Murcia and discussed potential locations for such center in E.B. Magalona, the DOH-NIR said.
This initiative served as a key platform to align priorities, resolve implementation challenges, and reinforce interagency cooperation in bringing accessible, quality healthcare closer to communities, it added. ||
