Catarman: The Department of Health (DOH) in Eastern Visayas on Monday turned over to the local government unit of Catarman, Northern Samar a newly constructed Super Health Center to strengthen healthcare access in the provincial capital.

According to Philippines News Agency, the new Super Health Center, located in Dalakit village, is equipped with modern facilities such as X-ray, obstetric ultrasound, electrocardiogram, outpatient consultation rooms, maternal and childcare services, laboratory and diagnostic rooms, birthing facilities, emergency treatment rooms, a pharmacy, and other essential medical services.

In her message, Mayor Dianne Rosales thanked the DOH for funding the project, calling it 'a gift and privilege for the people of Catarman.' She also noted the challenge posed by limited manpower but assured that efforts are underway to address this issue.

Catarman municipal health officer Myrna Trongcoso mentioned that they are finalizing the staff duty schedules to enable the center to operate 24 hours a day from Mondays to Fridays. The center is designed to serve not only Catarman residents but also those from neighboring municipalities.

The facility is expected to serve around 20,000 residents and will function as a YAKAP Center. YAKAP, or Yaman ng Kalusugan Program, is a program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. that provides an enhanced primary care benefit package, extending comprehensive and proactive healthcare to all members.

The PHP10-million Super Health Center was funded by the DOH, with the local government providing the land and contributing an additional PHP7 million for the second phase, which includes plumbing, electrical works, transformers, generator sets, and air-conditioning units.

The DOH plans to construct more Super Health Centers nationwide to alleviate congestion in regional and provincial hospitals. These facilities aim to facilitate diagnostic exams before hospital referrals, addressing gaps in the patient referral system and healthcare access inequities.