By LYN V. RAMO
www.nordis.net

BUGUIAS, Benguet – Despite the absence of a surgery unit, the Mountain Trail Inter-local Health Zone’s Abatan Emergency Hospital here received a P3.7 million worth X-ray facility, which the provincial government and a foreign donor turned over on June 17.

Residents of Benguet towns Atok, Bakun, Buguias and Mankayan are among immediate beneficiaries of the X-ray facility but all commuters along the Halsema highway will also benefit from it, according to Gov. Nestor Fongwan, who graced the turn-over ceremonies.

The X-ray unit costing some P2.7 million came from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), while the provincial government provided the counterpart of P1 million for renovation and refurbishing of the hospital room that will house the X-ray unit.

The JICA five-year health project is on its fourth year, according to Fude Takayoshi, project representative. It started in 2006 with the grant of equipment and training of health personnel for towns identified by the Provincial Health Office.

“The X-ray unit was listed as a priority project,” said Takayoshi.

Board Member Florence Tingbaoen, chair of the committee on health and social services, however, laments that the hospital still does not have surgery facilities.

“It will still be of use in the hospital because patients who do not need any surgery need not be taken to other hospitals. It will save patients from unnecessary travel,” Tingbaoen told the media.

Chief of Hospital Dr. Joseph Giovanni C. Frias said the most prevalent ailment that the hospital addressed in the past six months are gastroenteritis, pneumonia, urinary tract infection and cardio-vascular diseases.

He said childbirths are increasingly noted at the Abatan Emergency Hospital. Injuries from vehicular accidents nearby are usually treated first at the said hospital.

“ The X-ray unit would surely benefit the hospital beneficiaries not only from the towns belonging to the Mountain Trail health zone, but also the neighboring towns,” Frias told Nordis. # nordis.net