ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. received a mobile primary care facility (PCF) for the province, a donation from First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Marcos, during a handover ceremony in Cebu City.
This mobile clinic, equipped with an X-ray machine, ultrasound, and various laboratory equipment, is intended to enhance access to essential health services for residents, especially those in underserved areas.
Accompanying Defensor to the handover were Dr. Maria Socorro Quiñon, head of the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO), and key representatives from the Department of Health (DOH), including Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and DOH Region 6 director Dr. Adriano Suba-an.
The initiative follows President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s commitment during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) to provide mobile clinics across all provinces to bring medical services closer to the people.
Dr. Quiñon expressed optimism about the project in an interview last month, highlighting the potential to reach remote and underserved communities. She compared the new mobile PCF’s anticipated impact to that of the IPHO’s existing mobile dental van, which has already aided many.
Dr. Quiñon emphasized the importance of the mobile clinic in supplementing the district hospitals by providing basic health services directly to the residents.
To ensure the efficient management of the mobile clinic, the DOH recently conducted orientation and training for doctors, nurses, and medical technologists of the IPHO in Clark, Pampanga./PN
