DOH 8 to allocate P671 M in 2011 to finance various health programs, projects in EV

By RODRIGO S. VICTORIA
September 26, 2010

TACLOBAN CITY  –  The Department of Health (DOH) in Eastern Visayas will allocate a considerable amount next year to finance the various health programs and projects of the department in the region.

Dr. Edgardo M. Gonzaga, Regional Director of DOH 8 informed that his agency will allocate P671-M to finance infrastructure projects, equipment and capital outlays to Rural Health Units (RHUs), government hospitals and even the improvement of Barangay Health Centers.

The health chief made this pronouncement before the local chief executives and local legislators of Eastern Samar who attended the two-day 3rd 3LPHED Congress held here Thursday at the Balyuan Convention Center.

Dr. Gonzaga stressed that there is a need to provide enough financial support to LGUs so they can successfully implement health related projects and programs in their locality.

“I recognize the difficulty of LGUs in implementing programs and projects because of the very limited Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) they received from the national government”, Director Gonzaga said.

He added that LGUs cannot really implement projects and programs and improve the delivery of basic services in which one of those is health services beneficial to its constituents, because of the lack of funds.

He revealed that DOH 8 will focus next year in the improvement of Rural Health Units (RHUs) including the putting up of health station in island barangays in the region.

The health chief in region 8 is also contemplating of putting one health worker, a midwife in particular in every barangay in Eastern Visayas, as his positive response to the call of President Benigno S. Aquino to further improve the delivery of health services to Filipinos.