Lingayen – Health officials of Oriental Mindoro expressed admiration and intent to replicate Pangasinan’s local health care delivery system, best practices and innovations in health programs and services on their visit to the province.
This came up when Dr. Normando Legaspi, Provincial Health Officer II of Oriental Mindoro, led a group composed of health officers from their provincial local government unit (LGU) and others from municipal and city LGUs in Oriental Mindoro in a study tour in Pangasinan on November 18.
The group was welcomed by Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. during a conference held at the Capitol Resort Hotel where Provincial Health Officer II Anna. Maria Teresa De Guzman presented to them the local health care delivery system, best practices and innovations in health programs and services of implemented by LGU – Pangasinan.
Dr. De Guzman said that the provincial administration puts priority to health care in the province as she noted that among the 10 development thrusts of Governor Espino, Quality and Affordable Health Care is second to Peace and Order.
Under the Espino administration, De Guzman noted that budget for the health sector in the province increased with 26 percent from 275 million in 2007 to 712 million in 2014, surpassing the required budget of the Department of Health for health care programs and services.
It was learned that the Pangasinan Provincial Health Office (PHO) is the first and only health office of a provincial Local Government Unit (LGU) in the entire country that was awarded the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9001:2008 Quality Management Certification. Pangasinan PHO received its ISO certification on January 23, 2014 while the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH) had its ISO certification in May 12 of the same year.
Dr. Legazpi, who serves as the President of the Provincial Health Officers Association of the Philippines (PHOAP), admitted that they were amazed with Pangasinan’s health care delivery system and said: “Through our interactive discussions, we have learned many things that we could adopt in Oriental Mindoro.”
“Kami po ay walang masabi sa laki ng budget nyo sa health,” Dr. Legazpi said as he indicated that the said budget allocation for health is reflective of the provincial administration’s goal to further improve the health system in Pangasinan.
Earlier, the group from Mindoro visited the Health Office of Urdaneta City and the Urdaneta District Hospital, a community hospital owned and managed by the provincial government.
The group was also accorded a heritage tour within the Capitol Complex right after a briefing with Pangasinan health officials.