DAGUPEÑOS have become more aware of the importance of good health due to the vigorous campaign waged by the City Health Office (CHO) in Dagupan on the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Leonard Carbonell, city health officer, said the campaign focused on four areas of concern, namely: health service delivery, health care financing, health regulation, health services and resource management.

The health service delivery includes the adoption of preventive programs like immunization, maternal and child care and control of communicable diseases, like dengue fever, tuberculosis and others.

Aside from this, the CHO also extended its operations six days a week, instead of only five days, and had strengthened their out-patient department.

Consequently, there was a dramatic decrease in the number of dengue fever cases in the city as compared to last year’s with no death recorded and more people have enrolled in the anti-TB program.

He also cited the high cure rate in the TB campaign because patients were motivated to complete the treatment program.

The city also registered zero death arising from rabies, polio myelitis and measles, cholera.

From January to October this year, there were only 118 cases of dengue reported with no fatality whatsoever, compared to last year’s 236, also with no fatality.

On health care financing, Carbonell said there was a marked increase in the number of families enrolled in PhilHealth as they have included the Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and tanods as among those covered.

Meanwhile, the city health office is set to recommend the adoption of the Dagupan City Sanitation Code by the city council which aims to combine all sanitation code and laws of the city.

“Hopefully, the Sanitation Code will be ready by the first quarter next year,” he said.

Carbonell said the health office personnel continuously undergoes training to ensure the efficient delivery of services and programs designed by the CHO.

The CHO has 48 personnel, including two doctors with Carbonell standing as one, three nurses, 15 midwives, sanitary inspectors, five medical technologists, two dentists, and some non-technical personnel.

The city health officer expressed hope that House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. may be able to provide the city with one mobile health clinic to further improve the delivery of health services, especially to the indigents.

Carbonell said his office will continue with the special programs like the ‘Garantisadong Pambata’, maternal and child care, the anti-measles program, and give more focus on sanitation next year.

“We will invest more on our children,” he said.—CSR

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