News update Sarangani gets P54 million health fund

ALABEL, Sarangani (PIA) - The province of Sarangani has received some P54,225,000 worth of health facilities from the Department of Health (DoH) through its Center for Health Development (CHD)-SOCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato Province, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City), officials said Wednesday.

It was learned that the assistance from the DoH is in response to the province's health program to ''provide quality health services for the Sarangans,''

Out of the amount, P52,740,000 will go to infrastructural development, while P1,485,000 is intended for hospital equipment.

''This is for the improvement of our municipal hospitals, health centers, barangay health stations, and hospital equipment,'' said Sarangani Gov. Migs Dominguez.

A total of P15,028,000 is intended for hospital infrastructure improvement of Maitum (P3.372 million), and for Malungon (P11,656 million), according to a briefer from the DoH-CHD-SOCSKSARGEN, Maitum is Sarangani's farthest municipality to the west, while Malungon is the province's northern and only land-locked municipality.

In 2007, Maitum won the national Galing Pook award for its maternity home that offers services to the adjacent municipalities of Kiamba, Maasim, and Palimbang of Sultan Kudarat province.

Sarangani's seven municipalities, with each of their rural health units, have a total fund of P17,082,000 for the improvement of the health centers.

Also, 16 of the province's barangay health stations will receive a total of P20,630,000 for infrastructural development.

''These are among our remotest barangays where the communities need most immediate health care,'' said Dominguez.

Among these are the barangay health stations of: Pinol, Mabay, Kalaong, Upo, and Mindupok in Maitum town; Maligang and Lagundi in Kiamba; Lumasal and Kamanga in Maasim; Alegria in Alabel; Lun Padidu and Kinam in Malapatan; Small Margus in Glan; and Malandag, Kiblat, and Upper Mainit in Malungon.