Mayor Gerry Rojas, alongside health officials and local leaders, recently launched the PuroKalusugan program in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia, Negros Occidental, aiming to bring essential healthcare services directly to the community.
PuroKalusugan, a flagship initiative of the Department of Health (DOH), prioritizes the delivery of basic healthcare to barangay zones or “puroks,” aligning with the DOH’s 8-point agenda under the current administration, a press release from Murcia said Monday, July 21.
“Health has always been and will always be my top priority,” Rojas said.
“This DOH flagship program will significantly enhance the delivery of basic health services to Murciahanons, directly benefiting residents at the grassroots level”, he said.
The launch event saw nurses, midwives, and staff from the Provincial Health Office and Murcia Rural Health Unit, along with Barangay Health Workers and volunteers, offering a wide array of free medical and dental services. Hundreds of infants, children, adolescents, couples, and senior citizens availed themselves of the services.
The services offered are:
- Immunization for infants and children
- HPV vaccination for adolescents
- Pneumonia vaccination for senior citizens
- Screening for hypertension, diabetes, HIV, and tuberculosis (with free X-rays via an X-ray bus)
- Dental services
- Cancer screening and counseling
- Family planning services
- Pre-natal services
- Nutrition services
- Road safety advocacy
Approximately 50 patients received dental care from PHO dentists and nurses, while nearly 400 patients underwent free medical consultations with Dr. Maguad and Dr. Aldwin Ivan Bandiola from the Doctors to the Barrios Program. The Murcia RHU also provided free medications for common ailments like upper respiratory infections, hypertension, and diabetes.
The PhilHealth Local Health Insurance Office – Bacolod conducted a Universal Health Care (UHC) orientation, PhilHealth KonSulTa registration, and First Patient Encounter (FPE) for personnel of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, demonstrating a broad reach of the initiative.
Barangay officials and staff from the Murcia Water District also participated in the program’s launch, which was sponsored by Tanduay Distillers and Wilkinson Construction.
“PuroKalusugan is community-based and promotes preventive healthcare,” explained Kristine Araño, the PuroKalusugan focal person for Murcia RHU. “It is also comprehensive, including screening, health education, management, and referral, catering to all sectors of society, from infants and pregnant women to senior citizens.”
Araño added that following this successful launch, the full range of PuroKalusugan health services will be extended to other puroks. “We have already prepared a schedule to regularly conduct, fully integrate, and further intensify the delivery of medical and dental services to other Murciahanons under Mayor Gerry Rojas’s health priority program,” she affirmed.*PR