166 health workers deployed in Davao City villages

DAVAO CITY--The City Health Office (CHO) and the Department of Health (DOH) deployed 166 health professionals to several barangays in the city to further boost the delivery of health services.

Monday's deployment is composed of doctors, dentists and nurses under the national government's Human Resource for Health (HRH) program with the aim of addressing the lack of doctors, dentists, nurses in poor villages, CHO chief, Dr. Josephine Villafuerte said.

Villafuerte said the health professionals will provide public health and clinical services, strengthen the other administrative and managerial concerns in the rural health unit such as operational health planning, researches, disease surveillance, staff capability building, and program management.

"They will complete the necessary sets of health professionals in every barangay," Villafuerte said, adding the focus of the deployment is on far-flung villages and barangays that still lack the necessary health services.

Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte thanked the DOH for assisting the city in filling the need for medical professionals.

"Health is one of my priorities and with this deployment, everyone in the community - even in the far-flung barangays - have easy access to (services) and medicines," said VM Baste, who has been acting mayor since Mayor Inday Sara Duterte took a leave in July.

Duterte said health should be the primary concern of the government, adding that addressing the medical needs of the people and promoting good health will make communities progressive.

In an interview, Councilor Joselle Villafuerte, chairperson of the City Council committee on health, said the program is in line with the mandate of President Rodrigo Duterte to assign health professionals in all barangay to address the medical needs of the people.

Villafuerte said the 182 barangays in the city are now equipped with health care professionals. (PNA)