Opposition Councilor and Angeles City Mayoralty Aspirant Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. said he will push for the improvement of services and facilities at the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center (RLMMC), commonly known as Ospital Ning Angeles (ONA).
Speaking in front of the villagers in Barangay Pulung Buli, Lazatin pointed out that during the administration of his late father, three-term Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin, the budget for ONA was only P300 million, but the city government was able to provide medicine for the patients.
These days, however, Lazatin said that ONA has a P2 billion budget allotment and yet, the hospital does not even have cotton balls. Patients need to purchase cotton balls themselves.
Earlier, Lazatin also announced that if elected, he will push for the free mandatory annual physical check-up and other medical-related benefits for all senior citizens in Angeles City as part of his “Six-Point Agenda,” which includes promoting access to better public health.
According to Lazatin, it is adamant the city government takes care of its senior citizens because the city owes much of its presently-enjoyed facilities and infrastructure to the senior citizens who faithfully paid their taxes during Angeles City’s infancy.
“Malaki po ang utang na loob namin sa inyo at dapat lang po na suklian naming ito ng pag-aalaga,” Lazatin said.
As part of his platform, Lazatin also vows to strengthen and revitalize the city’s rural health units to make the delivery of city health services more efficient and more accessible to the people; establish a Newborn Screening Center in Angeles City to ensure the effective implementation of Republic Act 9709, otherwise known as the ‘Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention Act of 2009”; and improve and increase rural health facilities, as well as provide free medicines.