The Officer in Charge of the Department of Health (DoH), Maria Rosario Vergeire, led the groundbreaking for a new hospital in Marinduque province, Philippines. The event aimed to highlight the importance of infrastructure improvement in achieving the goals of Universal Health Care. The ceremony was also attended by other DoH officials, Marinduque officials led by Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr. and Representative Lord Allan Jay Velasco, and Mimaropa Center for Health Development chief, Dr. Mario Baquilod.
During the groundbreaking, Vergeire praised Marinduque province for its commitment to health services, including the allocation of 30% of the budget for health. She committed to assisting the province in improving its facilities and strengthening its healthcare workforce. Vergeire also visited two other hospitals in the province.
Vergeire and other officials discussed opportunities to maximize and capacitate existing Human Resources for Health while promoting improved health care service delivery for Marinduque residents. She called for a unified healthcare system in the province, emphasizing that it cannot be achieved by the DoH alone. She urged the government of Marinduque, its health sector, and all Marinduqueños to work together towards this goal.
