City hall allocates P183m to upgrade barangay health centers

By LITO RULONA,
Correspondent

The city government will allocate P183 million to upgrade the Barangay Health Centers (BHC) in city’s 80 barangay as part of the accreditation purposes for the Philippine Health Insurance (Phil health) and the Department of Health (DOH).

City councilor Malou Gaane, chair of the committee on health said part of the upgrading program of the barangay health centers is to construct its own laboratory for several contagious diseases like Tuberculosis.

“Upgrading health centers is among the requirements set by Philhealth and the DOH that we have to qualify. Before qualifying to Philhealth, we should have to qualify first with the DOH as the basic agency,” said Dr. William Bernardo, chairman of the City Health Insurance Office.

However, starting last year the DOH standard on the construction of baran-gay health centers has changed.

“Today we have to rehabilitate the design and to fit with the new standards. We have 45 accredited health centers throughout the city. Despite no allocation for rehabilitation last year, the city government was able to conduct immediate repairs. The generation of Philhealth or reimbursement is to be used for the operation and upgrading of facility for better quality,” he added.

Bernardo said that it is more essential for the city government to conduct immediate repair and supply medicines on the affected barangay health centers.

Gaane said the city’s health centers are under-financed by a program of DOH. She added that the health centers needed immediate repairs especially since the accreditation bodies now requires a laboratory in every health center.

The Local Finance Committee chaired by city councilor Edna Dahino said she allowed the increased of another P23 million for the implementation from the original budget last year of only P160 million. (See related story on page 3)

“Basta alang sa kaayuhan sa tanan dili kita magmakuli tungod kay gikinahanglan kini halos sa tanan,” said Dahino.