OROQUIETA CITY, Misamis Occidental (PIA)--Misamis Occidental Governor Henry Oaminal says he prioritizes health care "as the most valuable asset we have, and we should do everything we can to protect it" during his second State of the Province Address (SOPA) at Bayfront Arena, Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental. 

"Good health is not just the absence of disease. It is a state of physical, mental, and social well-being. When we are healthy, we can enjoy life to the fullest, pursue our goals, and contribute to society," he said. 

Among the perennial problems in the state of the five hospitals are the lack of medicines, dilapidated buildings, and insufficient doctors and nurses. 

To date, improvements to the facilities of Misamis Occidental Provincial Hospital, Calamba District Hospital, Jimenez Medicare Community Hospital, Tudela Municipal Hospital, and Doña Maria D. Tan Memorial Hospitals have already been made. 

"We have increased our budget for drugs and medicines from the previous administration's budget of P31 million to P68 million this year, as well as our medical supplies and equipment," the governor said. 

The province also hired additional medical staff, such as doctors and nurses, to complement the existing workforce in our hospitals. 

Further, it has implemented a free hospitalization program to ease the burden of less fortunate patients through the Medical Assistance to Indigent Patients (MAIP) Program. 

With the governor's determination to expand the benefits of the program, the Asenso administration was able to get funding support from the national government. 

"The funding we got from the national government will not only provide free hospitalization but will also give additional income for the province because the payments of your hospital bills will be billed against the MAIP Funding. So, we provided free hospitalization, and at the same time, we generated income for our five government hospitals," he explained. 

Making health and social services his priority, the province was able to obtain P266.5 million from the Department of Health's (DOH) Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) for the construction of 43 barangay health stations. 

The DOH, through its HFEP program, also allotted P55 million for the completion, repair, and renovation of Misamis Occidental Provincial Hospital. 

The governor expressed his gratitude to the five hospital chiefs in the province and the hospital management team under the direction of Dr. Holly Tago for their tireless efforts to support and enhance hospital services. 

To make hospital services more accessible and conducive to patients, the provincial government constructed the Asenso Misamis Occidental Medical Center at Talairon, Oroquieta City. 

The hospital will cost more or less 1 billion pesos with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. This will also increase the present Provincial Hospital Bed Capacity from 150 to 500. 

"So, from our initial fund of P200 million in 2022, there was that 100 million that I put up at the Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) of DOH when I was Congressman that was placed at Doña Maria D. Tan Memorial Hospital, which we transferred as an additional fund for our new Medical Center. Also, for 2023, Senator Allan Cayetano allocated 200 million, Congressman Jason Almonte also allotted 60 million, Senator Bong Go provided 50 million, and our Sangguniang Panlalawigan allocated P150 million," Oaminal shared. 

He also hopes to complete the construction of Asenso Misamis Occidental Medical Center and operationalize the hospital by next year. 

To facilitate the two-way referral system and to provide a timely response to potential or confirmed medical emergencies from accident sites to hospitals, 15 brand new ambulance units were purchased by the provincial government, which were distributed to the LGUs and augmented with 5 units from the DOH, which were given to PGMO hospitals. 

"Through this program, Misamisnons are ensured access to health facilities where patients can receive the best possible care with improved healthcare infrastructure and services, thus creating a healthier and more equitable society for all," he shared. 

With all the efforts for public health, the provincial government was able to surpass the benchmark rate on health indicators on the LGU health score card in terms of households with access to safely managed drinking water services at 77%, the tuberculosis (TB) treatment success rate at 94.62%, and Operation Timbang (OPT) plus coverage at 73.2%. 

"We are optimistic that we can achieve 100% success in our indicators in the coming years," he added. (SMRN/PIA-10/Misamis Occidental)