DOH-6 Regional Director Adriano Suba-an personally congratulated Murcia officials led by Mayor Gerry Rojas and Murcia Health Office head Dr. Raymund Antonio Maguad for attaining 107.97 percent accomplishment of its target, ranking first among all LGUs in Western Visayas, in the MR OPV SIA (Measles-Rubella Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity) campaign.
“This latest achievement further attests to our administration’s continuous efforts to deliver the best possible health care services to our beloved Murciahanons, particularly our young vulnerable children,” Rojas said.
“Congratulations to Dr. Raymund Antonio Maguad and his staff, and to all barangay officials and personnel who cooperated in bagging this award for our town. Thank you, too, to Vice-Mayor Johnny Reosura, all SB Members and all municipal employees who supported this campaign,” the mayor added.
Suba-an, with Negros Occidental Provincial Health Officer Dr. Gerlie Pinongan, visited Murcia on June 7 to relay the result of the immunization campaign to Rojas. The regional director also inspected the Murcia Health Office and its facilities, and discussed how DOH can help Murcia further strengthen its health programs.
The MR OPV SIA was originally conducted from May 1 to 31, but the Department of Health eventually extended the program until June 15 to give other LGUs the opportunity to increase their vaccination numbers and reach their targets. Murcia’s target for Measles-Rubella was 7,244 beneficiaries, while its actual accomplishment was 7,866.
“The MR OPV SIA was spearheaded by the MHO, Murcia National Immunization Program Coordinator Kristine Araño and Health Education and Promotion Officer designate Taryn Marie Poblador, and the RHU staff. Our Barangay Health Workers and Barangay Nutrition Scholars served as our recorder and guide during the whole month activity,” disclosed Maguad.
He explained that the vaccines, vaccination logistics and campaign materials came from DOH-6 and the PHO, while the intensive info campaign and all other needed logistics were provided by the LGU. He added that the DOH also provided P100,000 first tranche mobilization fund support for the pre-implementation phase of the program.
“The vaccination campaign was done initially by having fixed site vaccination posts in all the 23 barangays of Murcia. Towards the end of the month, we conducted house-to-house strategy to locate and vaccinate all the target age-group children, and to ensure that no child is left behind during the campaign,” Maguad stressed.
He further said that Rojas discussed with Suba-an and Pinongan Murcia’s need for a Super Health Center and additional personnel for the ‘Doctor to the Barrio’ program to better serve Murciahanons.
The Super Health Center is a DOH project to ensure accessibility to and address the growing needs for basic health care services in Murcia, while the ‘Doctor to the Barrio’ is a DOH program to provide physicians in far-flung areas of the Philippines and to ensure provision of quality health care services in certain areas by having a doctor in the locality.
Suba-an promised to re-evaluate and re-submit for inclusion in next year’s DOH budget the funding for Murcia’s Super Health Center, and he also promised to follow-up in the DOH central office Murcia’s request for additional ‘Doctor to the Barrio’.*
