BASISTA, Pangasinan , Philippines —This town may be poor in income as it remains a fourth class municipality but it is rich in its health care services and could easily beat other local government units in this field.
One proof, according to Dr. Lilibeth Fermin, the municipal health officer, is it was the very first Rural Health Unit (RHU) nationwide awarded with a Sentrong Sigla seal of excellence for quality delivery of health services and got P1 million prize in 1996 to further improve its facilities.
The RHU here received such award when it was still a fifth class municipality yet its facilities had been providing quality services to the townsfolk seeking medical assistance.
Health facilities are granted the Sentrong Sigla seal based on eight quality standards criteria, namely: infrastructure and amenities; basic health services such as immunization, weighing and monitoring of children’s growth; attitude and behavior of health workers in delivering services; sufficient number of trained staff; equipment for examining patients and basic laboratory capability; sufficient drugs, medicines and supplies; health information system; and community intervention.
With the Sentrong Sigla seal, the RHU here was eventually accredited by PhilHealth, making it the first in the province and in Region 1 for the out-patient benefit package.
Another accreditation came through the TB DOTs program, which raises awareness on tuberculosis (TB), its symptoms, prevention and treatment. It helps in diagnosis, distributes medication, supplementary nutrition and ensures compliance through regular follow-up of patients.
This was followed again by the most difficult accreditation, according to Fermin, which is the maternal child care. But thanks to balikbayans (returning overseas Filipino workers) from this town who helped them achieve this through public-private partnership. From one feat to another, the RHU personnel here dreamed bigger and was accredited for new born screening so that mothers who give birth in the RHU need not bring their children to private hospitals for this important test.