After reaching a major milestone last year with the rehabilitation of 100 rural health units, BDO Foundation continues to help improve health facilities across the country. The corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank recently completed the rehabilitation of six rural health units as part of its contribution to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal no. 3 to ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being of all people at all ages.
Despite constraints caused by the pandemic, the foundation renovated the Municipal Health Office of Aurora in Isabela, Calbiga Rural Health Unit and Birthing Facility in Western Samar, and Rural Health Unit Dapa in Siargao, Surigao del Norte. In Iloilo, it renovated Dueñas Municipal Health Office, Barotac Viejo Municipal Health Office and Birthing Facility, and Mina Municipal Health Center.
According to Dueñas municipal health officer Dr. Rodney Labis, “Understanding the financial capacity of our local government unit, I knew that our only chance to renovate Dueñas Municipal Health Office would be through BDO Foundation. Learning that the foundation will rehabilitate our building made me hopeful. Our staff were also excited because they have seen the foundation’s work in other rural health units in Iloilo.”
“The rehabilitation of our rural health unit not only made our building presentable, it also motivated our health workers to deliver services effectively to all Dueñasanons especially during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the doctor added.
BDO Foundation improved the layout and interior design of the six health centers, their lobby and waiting areas, offices, clinics, consultation rooms, treatment rooms and facilities. The foundation installed new furniture and fixtures to help health workers accommodate more patients. It also constructed play areas where children can read books or play with toys. In Mina Municipal Health Center and Rural Health Unit Dapa, available space enabled BDO Foundation to build waiting areas for the comfortable use of senior citizens.
With these improvements in place, the doctors, nurses and midwives of the rural health units in Aurora, Barotac Viejo, Calbiga, Dapa, Dueñas and Mina are now better equipped to provide primary healthcare services to thousands of constituents. BDO Foundation’s corporate citizenship initiatives in the aforementioned municipalities are expected to help improve the health and well-being of more than 197,000 people from 198 barangays.