Good news to Laoag City residents!

Laoag City Mayor Michael V. Fariñas recently announced the city government’s plan to upgrade the laboratory capacity of the Laoag City General Hospital (LCGH) as he said an estimated P3.5 million has been allocated for the purchase of an X-ray, ultrasound, and anesthesia machines.

The mayor said this was planned so city residents who cannot afford to go to private hospitals for laboratory procedures will now have an alternative choice.

“Dapat lang nga ikkan tayo iti naan-anay a napintas a serbisyo dagiti kakailyan tayo ta kuarta da dagitoy<‘/i> (It is just proper that we give the people better services because this is their money),” Fariñas said.

Fariñas also said that they are also planning to further add heart, kidney and prostate examination machines by next year as long as funds would be available.

Aside from the purchase of these examination machines, the amount of P250,000 was also approved for the purchase of medicines for the newly opened LCGH pharmacy.

The pharmacy was opened for LCGH patients as well as other city residents to be given the opportunity to buy cheaper medicines at the hospital pharmacy.

It was also more advantageous for patients to be buying their medicines within the pharmacy instead of outside of it.

Reacting to this, Dr. Elizer Asuncion, LCGH chief, expressed his gratitude to Fariñas for attending to the hospital’s needs.

According to Asuncion, the machines would be of great help especially to indigent patients who cannot afford such examinations at private hospitals and other health care facilities.

Asuncion also said the pharmacy would not exist for income purposes but for the immediate service to the people.

The doctor also clarified that the P250,000 allocated for the pharmacy would not be enough to purchase all medicines needed so they decided to purchase emergency-type medicines for the meantime.

Dominic B. dela Cruz