BALANGA CITY, Bataan – Board Member Noel Valdecañas, Chairman of the Committee on Health at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, in his bid for the province to have a more effective and functional Service Delivery Network (SDN) invited Dr. Ria Baltazar, Administrator of the Bataan General Hospital (BGH) to shed light on the status of said network.
Dr. Ria Baltazar, reported that they are envisioning BGH to be a tertiary hospital, a Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center, a medical and training center for future doctors and other medical staff.
Baltazar added that BGH, is now building a dream to be a leading and trusted multi- specialty medical center that is more responsive to the needs of the community thus the need to establish a network of health facilities and providers within the province’s health system offering core packages of health services in an integrated and coordinated manner.
Baltazar also explained that said service delivery network is an important factor in a functional health system as it provides for a well defined people access and referral system which begins at home and advances to the nearest rural health unit.
Baltazar underscored that a good SDN should have a strong legal backbone, sustainability of funding source, involvement of the stakeholders, proper gatekeeping at the RHU level and a functional referral system (RHU Referral System) with internet connectivity).
The BGH Administrator stressed that, it is time that we change the concept of service delivery, it is not just a referral system and facilities development but an arrangement wherein people have easy access in the health services and the availability of health interventions to reduce the burden of their illness.
Service Delivery Network, Baltazar further explained, is putting people at the center of care, taking into consideration their preferences and expressed needs, coordinating and integrating care and working together to make sure their connectivity and education will ensure people’s access to health care where and when they need it.
All the members of Bataan’s August body were impressed with the presentation and thanked Dr. Ria Baltazar and her staff for a job well done and commit to support future endeavors of the Bataan General Hospital.
