SM Foundation upgrades Urdaneta Health Center 2 to two floors

P.R NEWS

URDANETA CITY - Residents of 16 barangays in this thriving city are lucky to receive from SM Foundation Inc. a newly-renovated and refurbished health center II.
The spacious two-story (253.5 sq.m) facility provides basic health care, laboratory, pediatric and elderly care, dental services, pharmacy and neo-natal check-ups with a capability to handle child deliveries.

It is the city’s main health center which used to be just a one-story facility. It now has consultation area, OB consultation, treatment area, pharmacy, storage room for medicines and other medical supplies, dental room, a laboratory and TB-DOTS center, vaccination room and cold storage area, breastfeeding station.

The foundation added a reception and waiting area called Felicidad Sy wellness centers for children and the elderly.

With the renovation, the facility is now qualified for 3 Philhealth accreditation: TB-DOTS, outpatient benefit package and Primary Care Benefit package.  

SM Foundation turned over last February 1 the upgraded health center, which would cater to 120 patients a day for the barangays around Barangay Cabuloan with amenities and comfort found in private (pay) hospitals in progressive localities.

The state- of the- art facilities (with breastfeeding area, spacious laboratory, PWD restroom aside from the regular comfort room, pharmacy and Felicidad Sy wellness centers for children and the elderly, said assistant city health officer Dr. Rachel Parayno, the wife of the vice mayor.

This will address the needs of 16 (of the 34 barangays) here with a population of 70,000. "Thank you po Tatang Henry Sy", cited by the marker that welcomes patients at the entrance of the health center.

Connie Angeles, SMFI Senior Assistant Vice President and Executive Director for health and medical programs, said the foundation aims to be partners of the government to help health centers become Philhealth accredited. She said such accreditation will help decongest the hospitals as they can now handle minor cases.

She said SM Foundation will also help in the maintenance and upkeep of the health center so it can always be in tip-top shape.

Vice Mayor Julio Parayno III said the inauguration was untimely because it came after the passing of Tatang Henry Sy Sr. But it is also remarkable because the completion of renovation will be a living testament to the love shown to us by Tatang Henry S. Sy. The audience applauded Parayno. 

He said this city is hopeful that another city health office will be opened next year.

Dr. Bernardo Macaraeg, city health officer, said with the new state-of-the art facilities, “it is incumbent upon us to provide an equally efficient health service to our people. What good is a modern health center if we don’t give the same quality service.”

This eastern Pangasinan city's Mayor Amadeo Perez IV said health is important because if a place is not complete in facilities, the health center can’t render effective service to its people. He asked the city health staff to maintain the health center and make it serviceable to the people.  

Vice Mayor Ramie Parayno III and city councilors and Barangay Cabuloan officials led by chairman Marciano Bustamante and his council members graced the turnover of the newly-renovated health center.

Connie Angeles, SMFI executive director for health and wellness and SM Urdaneta officers led by Aileen Santos, mall manager and assistant mall manager Drake Lim from the engineering department of SM attended the turnover as the Urdaneta mall officers recommended such renovation by the SM Foundation.

The Urdaneta Health Center II is the 135^th health and wellness centers (the 45^th improved community health center) and the first to be turned over this 2019 by the SM Foundation.