Manila: Seven more local government units (LGUs) in the Negros Island Region (NIR) are set to receive medical services through the Doctors to the Barrios (DTTB) Program. The Department of Health (DOH) has deployed physicians to these areas, marking a significant step in improving healthcare access for underserved communities.

According to Philippines News Agency, the municipalities benefiting from this initiative include E. B. Magalona, Moises Padilla, Murcia, and Pontevedra in Negros Occidental, along with Amlan, Bindoy, and Santa Catalina in Negros Oriental. The DOH-NIR Health Human Resource Development Unit has officially endorsed these doctors after completing an orientation and meeting with Regional Director Razel Nikka Hao at the DOH regional office in Dumaguete City.

The DOH-NIR emphasized the commitment of these doctors, stating, "These doctors do not choose where they will go - they are sent where the need is greatest. In that selfless act lies the true spirit of public service."

This deployment, known as DTTB Batch 44, includes Dr. Remel Tasic, Dr. Raia Val Laureen Tababa, Dr. Aldrin Ikher Bandiola, Dr. Celine Canlas, Dr. Lynda Bianca Arias, Dr. Rizza Mae Causing, and Dr. Elan Joseph Peraren. Their mission is to bring healthcare services to remote and underserved areas for a period of three years.

Earlier this year, the first batch of DTTB physicians was dispatched to seven other localities, including La Libertad, Siaton, Calatrava, Toboso, San Enrique, Escalante City, and Kabankalan City. This strategy, part of the National Health Workforce Support System, aims to enhance healthcare equity across the nation by assigning skilled and dedicated physicians to the most inaccessible areas.

The initiative ensures that LGUs without permanent physicians receive essential medical leadership, helping to strengthen primary care services, improve local health systems, and guarantee equitable access to quality healthcare.