Pozorrubio, Pangasinan—Mothers and children in this town received a Christmas gift of wellness as SM Foundation turned over its 30th refurbished and renovated Municipal Health Center to officials here.
Beyond the standard medical services provided in a typical health center, this renovated center focuses on the special needs of mothers and children.
“It is very timely to focus on mothers and children as the Christmas Season is about a mother who gave birth to a baby,” shared Connie Angeles, SM Foundation executive director for Health and Wellness Program. “The health and wellness of a child begins as early as conception. It starts with the physical health of the mother as well as her emotional and psychological well-being.”
The Center has complete facilities for pre- to post-natal care, as well as programs and amenities to address the needs of the child during its most critical stages of development.
Its holistic program begins by providing family planning services, orienting couples on healthy child spacing and proper care and nutrition for expectant mothers. During pregnancy, expectant mothers can visit its 24-hour maternity clinic for any health concerns. Nursing mothers may also use the breastfeeding area.
The center also houses the 122nd Felicidad Sy Wellness Center both for children and the elderly, providing therapeutic ambiance to help aid the healing experience.
“So far, we are able to catch the mothers during their first trimester, which is a critical stage of the pregnancy,” said Dr. Lusiana Bautista, Pozorrubio municipal health officer. “Since we are accredited by PhilHealth with the Maternity Care Package, we implement the no-billing policy for indigent patients. With this policy, expectant mothers have no reason not go to the health center.”
Another component of this center is its improved Stimulation and Therapeutic Activity Center (STAC), which provides physical and occupational therapy programs for children with special conditions such as cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, autism spectrum and other post traumatic fractures among others. It can also refer patients to free psychiatric and neurological consultations and assessments.
The center is also accredited as a four-in-one PhilHealth provider, which includes primary care benefit, TB-DOTS package, maternity care package, and newborn care package. It is also licensed by the Department of Health for Primary Diagnostic Laboratory Services. Catering to 34 barangays with population of 71,302 individuals, the center can serve up to 250 patients a day.
The health center operates 24 hours daily. Since the nearest government hospital is in Dagupan, which is a two-hour drive from Pozorrubio, the center serves as an emergency hospital for residents.
“Our desire is to meet everyone’s health needs,” said Dr. Bautista. “We want everyone to be able to access us anytime, with no hindrance. And with the improvements provided for by SM Foundation, we are now better equipped to serve more.”