Beyond borders: Ligao City delivers free health services to the people

The City Health Office, headed by Dr. Wynns Samar (left), provides health services and periodically conducts medical  and dental missions to ensure the health and nutrition of local residents.

The City Government of Ligao, through its City Health Office (CHO), delivers free health services for newborns, pregnant women, young adults, senior citizens, and the general public. Generously, the City extends these services to the residents of nearby barangays from neighboring municipalities through its community health facilities.

Extensive health services for pregnant women and children

• Prenatal and Antenatal Health services. Pregnant women receive health services before and after giving birth. They undergo medical checkups three times during their pregnancy. They also receive a six-month supply of Ferrous Sulfate with Follic Acid before giving birth. Another two-month supply of Ferrous Sulfate is given to maintain a good supply of red blood cells in their body after giving birth. 

• Birthing facilities. Ligao has four lying-ins. Two are located in the upland area (Bacong and Paulba), one in the coastal area (Maonon), and one in the Mayon Unit (Basag).  These birthing facilities, along with the 13 Barangay Health Stations, serve as catchment areas of patients from surrounding barangays. The lying-in at Maonon, for instance, not only offers health services within the coastal areas of Ligao but also to barangays Bogtong (Oas) and Basicao (Pioduran). Similarly, Paulba Lying-in, which is strategically located three meters away from Ligao City Hall Annex, caters to ten barangays in the upland area. Neihboring barangays of Oas, Albay also benefit from the services due to the accessibility of the facility. 

• Health care for infants. Childbirth services in the lying-ins are also offered for free. Upon birth, infants undergo Newborn Screening, a test done to diagnose possible disorder that can affect the child’s health and survival. In addition, the CHO routinely administers immunization of infants and visits remote areas to conduct mass immunization.

The BEMONC facility at Basag services barangays in the Mayon Unit.
Photo: Ligao City Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lgu.ligaocity

Consultations for pregnant women and children are scheduled every Wednesday. CHO maintains separate scheduled medical checkups to avoid patients with communicable illnesses get in contact with pregnant women and children.

The Paulba Lying-in, formerly called Ligao Municipal Health Infirmary, has serviced upland barangays since 1994. The facility is a catchment area of patients from upland barangays of Ligao including the nearby barangays of neighboring municipalities.  Photo: Ligao City Planning and Development Office

Nutrition programs and health facilities for youth and senior citizens

• Nutrition programs. CHO conducts deworming among children and implements feeding programs in schools. Likewise, the CHO provides free vitamins and medicines for malnourished children. They also coordinate with the medical personnel of the Department of Education to assess the health situation of students. 

• Health facilities for youth. This year, Ligao City simultaneously opened its first community Teen Health Center at the second floor of CHO and school-based Teen Chat Center at Ligao National High School. The establishment of the facilities aims to address the issue on teenage pregnancy, and other problems encountered by teenagers.

The Therapeutic Rehabilitation and Nutrition Center at Tuburan, beside the BRSHS, houses the Senior Citizen's Center and the Physical Therapy Center. 

• The Therapeutic Rehabilitation and Nutrition Center at Barangay Tuburan, beside the Bicol Regional High School houses the Senior Citizen Center dedicated solely for the medical needs of senior citizens. Services include the following:

• Medical checkups scheduled every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
• Consultations, laboratory tests, and medicines all available for free. 
• Yearly activities prepared by the City for senior citizens. One of which is the Elderly Week wherein the City awards senior citizens who reach the age of 100.

• The Physical Therapy Center is also located at Tuburan. A licensed Physical Therapist services patients in need of rehabilitation therapy, e.g. those who are recovering from vehicular accidents.

General health services and programs

CHO offers dental services and conducts

dental missions yearly.

The CHO has five doctors consisting of two General Practitioners, an Obstetrician, Internal Medicine specialist, and a resident doctor for senior citizens. CHO provides a variety of health services to the general public.

• Consultations and laboratory testing. Patients can avail medical checkups for free. Laboratory testing such as CBC, Urinalysis, Fecalysis, and Sputum exam are also available at CHO.

• Dental services. A dentist is permanently assigned at the office while another one makes rounds at schools and day care centers. Every month, a dentist also visits the Mayon Unit barangays to offer free dental services to the local residents. 

• Medical assistance. The City has allotted a budget for patients admitted at the Bicol Regional Teaching and Training Hospital (BRTTH) and provides medical assistance such as payment of hospital bills and medicines for patients treated in other hospitals. Ligao City Mayor Patricia Gonzalez-Alsua said that the City provides financial assistance for the purchase of medicines.

• Sanitation Program. CHO also conducts sanitary inspection of water facilities and food establishments. The City Government subsidizes the operation of Ligao Water District to provide safe potable and affordable water supply.

Patients under emergency are referred and transferred directly to hospitals by ambulance.

Towards better services

Aside from the newly opened Teen Health Center, CHO has also started the Dance Fitness Program this year to address the issue on obesity. Zumba dance lessons are done every Thursdays and Fridays and are open to the public. 

In 2015, the CHO will begin its Mobile Dental Clinic, a new service to improve the accessibility of dental services to the local residents. Two new health facilities which are nearly completed are also expected to operate next year- the new lying-in near the City Hall and the satellite office of CHO at Nasisi that will offer the same kind of health services as that of the main CHO.

In addition, the City purchased two additional ambulances this year for use in medical emergency transport needs.

The nearly completed satellite office of CHO at Nasisi is expected to operate very soon to offer similar health services to the Mayon Unit barangays. Photo courtesy of Jurlan Buello

The City Government of Ligao headed by Mayor Patricia Gonzalez-Alsua along with the medical team lead by Dr. Samar and other offices of the local government are working closely together to further improve the health services being offered to the people.

While CHO continues in improving the health services, Ligao also strive to further upgrade facilities to continuously improve the services. The Office of the Mayor is directing all the offices of the City Government to continuously and progressively deliver all the basic services for the benefit and well-being of its inhabitants. 

Written by Lala Peñafiel