The Department of Health in the Negros Island Region (DOH-NIR) outlined its priorities as it formally established its regional office in Negros Oriental’s capital Dumaguete City.

DOH-NIR Regional Director Razel Nikka Hao emphasized during a press conference yesterday that the primary goal is enhancing access to healthcare services across the region, which includes Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental and Siquijor.

“We need to make sure that there are primary care facilities and hospitals around the region,” Hao said.

Hao added that they will equip the hospitals to become Level 1 or Level 2 facilities. The improvement would enable them to secure PhilHealth accreditation and provide better services.

Another priority is bringing DOH workers from different NIR provinces to bridge cultural and language barriers.

The DOH-NIR plans to implement integration workshops for health workers from various provinces to bridge these gaps.

Priority health programs for the region include immunization, nutrition, reproductive health, tuberculosis (TB), HIV, non-communicable diseases, mental health, and water and sanitation.

Governor Manuel Sagarbarria welcomed the DOH-NIR’s establishment, emphasizing the provincial government’s commitment to healthcare.

He reiterated that healthcare is his administration’s top priority since he became governor last year but admitted that the province cannot do it alone.

The governor announced plans to elevate Siaton District Hospital or Bindoy District Hospital — or both — to Level 1 facilities this year.

He debunked talks about the provincial government focusing solely on the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, saying that the NOPH is a “model because that is where all our systems, all our plans and programs will come from.”

These initiatives, Sagarbarria added, will be extended to district hospitals once fully operational at the NOPH, ensuring comprehensive and sustainable healthcare services across the region. (PNA)