The Department of Health – MIMAROPA (Oriental/Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) together with the local governments of the province recently signed the Local Investment Plan for Health (LIPH) ensuring the delivery of health services and facilities at the local level after a four-day LIPH Meeting and Finalization Workshop.
“We are expediting the implementation of essential health services and programs to further improve the health, safety and welfare of the 3 million residents of the region and we can ensure this in partnership with the local health leaders through the LIPH,” Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo stated during the moa signing ceremony held at the Ramada Hotel in Binondo, Manila.
“The health services and the people of MIMAROPA has been neglected for years and that is why we are working double time to provide them what they needed and deserved”, he added.
Among the programs and projects to be implemented and provided by DOH-MIMAROPA is the provision of Desalinator Machine to Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, conversion of the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital to a training hospital for the region, upgrading of the Ospital ng Palawan to a medical center, provision of speedboats for island barangays for a faster delivery of health services and transport of patients, establishment of GeneXpert TB laboratory, instituting health science courses in government colleges and universities in the region.
Through the LIPH, a local government will receive financial allocation support from DOH for the implementation of its approved Annual Operation Plan for 2017.
The LIPH guarantees the implementation of programs and projects at the local level consistent to the Philippine Health Agenda (PHA) for 2016-1022.
The PHA 2016-1022 guarantees health services for both the well and the sick, functional network of health facilities and financial freedom when accessing health services.
“We must strengthen our primary health care at the local level and empower our local government units to enable them to implement programs and projects and ensure the delivery of these services to the community,” Janairo concluded.