The Department of Health (DOH) launched on Tuesday the Heart and Lung Center in the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) to extend its outreach to the people in the region.

DOH said these specialty centers will allow residents of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental to attain the cardiovascular and lung care they may need without traveling to higher-level facilities.

“We are not only improving patient care but also increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of surgical procedures," DOH Undersecretary Gloria Balboa said.

"This center ensures that patients in Western Visayas no longer need to seek referral to higher-level facilities for critical treatment, contributing to the broader vision of our health sector under the Department’s 8-Point Action Agenda — to improve public health facilities and promote an image of a modern, efficient, responsive, and compassionate health sector that is accessible to all, especially the underserved," she added.

The project's kick-off will ensure that the currently outsourced radiation services will soon be available within the WVMC vicinity.

Half-way rooms will also be available to aid clients living outside the city of Iloilo. More patients can be accommodated for admission, out-patient consults, hospice and pain management, and chemotherapy sessions

“As we unveil the Specialty Centers at Western Visayas Medical Center, I affirm the commitment of the Department of Health to advancing healthcare accessibility and quality for all Filipinos, as stated in one of our 8-Point Action Agenda: Bawat Pilipino Ramdam and Kalusugan," DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said.

"These state-of-the-art facilities underscore our dedication to providing comprehensive care and improving healthcare outcomes across the region tungo sa Bagong Pilipinas, kung saan Bawat Buhay Mahalaga (going to the new Philippines, where every life is important)," he added.