MEDICAL  SERVICES

Dipolog City is moving fast forward toward the more complicated environs at onset of the 21^st Century.  And in the attempt to improve economically and socially a great majority of Dipolognons had taken the issues and concerns on health care in serious tone.

It is a common knowledge that a Filipino has the tendency to take things for granted most especially on the issue of health care.  Some say because Filipinos are genetically healthy. Others say the abundance of herbal medicines and presence of quack doctors  are the culprits of his nonchalant attitude on the matter of health issues.  Whatever the reasons may be, Filipinos are interested to overcome the gap between the realities and findings of medical science  and technology as well as respectful to the traditions and beliefs of his ancestors which through the years had become part of his as well to some certain exist offers him confusion which to believe and which to practice and from what not to.

Further adding to his confusions are still other kinds of contradictions and inconsistencies that he observe and imbibe from what his ancestors believe to be true and correct. 

Faced with a highly liberalized, differentiated and scientific world, therefore Dipolognons face greater challenges in arriving at a sense of themselves and in forming their own truths and values they themselves have learned from personal research, when compared to their counterparts of a generation or so ago.

Against the foregoing background of changes and confusions, the CITY OF DIPOLOG WEBSITE offers to offer direction, information and events related to health and other health-related issues for the information and perusal of  the readers.

It serves a data bank for research, news and information regarding health and nutrition-related concerns of the readers, locally and across the shore.

Be healthy . Therefore you are wise…
 

 Hospitals
 

Available health facilities in the city, includes  the following six (6) hospitals, of which five (5) are privately owned,  fifteen (15) medical clinics, ten (10) dental clinics and twelve (12)  optical clinics.

Shown in Table 1 are the name of hospitals in the  City of Dipolog, their addresses and telephone numbers as of September 31, 1997

Zamboanga del NOrte Provincial Hospital

Table 2 shows the distribution of medical and  paramedical personnel among the seven (7) leading health care  institutions in the city. Likewise, this also reflects the number of  beds available per health facility in the city.

Among the hospitals stated, the leading numbers of  personnel are Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Health Office, Acis Health  Care Center, City Health Office and North Maternity and Hospital,  respectively.

For the facilities with the most number of beds,  the top three (3) are Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Health Office,  Dipolog Medical Center and North Maternity and Hospital.

Although the present ratio of hospital beds to  population is very well within the standard, shortage of hospital beds  is sometimes experienced because most patients prefer to be treated in a  government hospital considering the high cost of hospitalization in  private hospitals. In addition, patients as far as Roxas, Katipunan, and  Polanco avail of the services of the Zamboanga del Norte Integrated  Provincial Health Office. Said hospital is under the provincial  government of Zamboanga del Norte.

As shown in Table 3, the doctors, nurses, sanitary  inspectors, midwives and dentists to population ratios are high compared = to the standard.

 
Sta. Isabel General Hospital
 

Table 4  shows the hospital facilities available in  the six (6) hospitals in the city. All have the basic facilities needed  to handle common diagnostic and medical/surgical procedures.

For special facilities such as ultrasound, renal = section, endoscopy, and hematology, only the following have these  respectively: Sta. Isabel General Hospital, Acis Health Care Center and Ospital ng Kabataan.

Hospital Services
 

Health services in the city is taken cared of  by the Office of the City Health Officer which has a complement of 1  doctor, 4 nurses, 1 nursing aide/attendant, 23 midwives, 1 dentist, 1  dental aide, 4 sanitary inspectors and 1 medical technologist.

A Puericulture Center is located at the back of the  office of the City Health Officer.

There are 28 Barangay Health Stations (BHS) and 1  main Health Center in the City of Dipolog. Of the 28 government-owned  BH’s 17 are freestanding while 11 are either attached to the  Multi-purpose hall or to the Barangay Hall. The 11 BHS are in barangays  Dicayas, Minaog,Turno East, Turno West, San Jose, Sinaman, Olingan,  Galas, Sta. Filomena, Minaog Relocation Site and Dicayas Relocation  Site. Of the 17 freestanding BHS, 2 are owned by the DECS, which are  located at barangays Lugdungan and Diwan.

Likewise, of the 28 BHS, 21 were erected on  government-owned lands, while 7 were constructed on privately owned land  and are located at barangays Biasong, Miputak West, Cogon, Cayasan, San  Jose, Olingan, and Sta. Filomena. Of the 21 BHS erected on  government-owned lots. DECS owned six (6) of these, which are located at  barangays Miputak East, Lugdungan, Gulayon, Sicayab, Diwan and  Galas.

The Office of the City Health Officer has been  performing the duties of attending to the health problems of our people,  especially those who cannot afford the more expensive health services  being provided by private medical practitioners and entities, and of  ensuring that our community is clean and hygienic at all times as to  prevent the occurrence of health hazards that pose danger to the lives  of our people. To achieve this purpose, the office conducts medical care consultations, pre-natal and post-natal care, deliveries, immunization, sputum smears collection, weighing of children, dental services, periodic inspection of the different business establishments and medical outreach missions to the different rural barangays. However, the office has no vehicle to use for their periodic barangay visitations, and they lack medical and dental office supplies Medical and laboratory equipment  is also insufficient.

North Maternity Hospital
 

 MEDICAL CLINICS
1.  Osaka Iridology – Jonathan L. Guardo – FSA Magsaysay
2.  ZN Physical Rehab – Joselle Sim M. Alfanta – Gonzales St.
3.  Medical Specialist Center – Rizal Avenue
4.  ZN Drug Testing Center – Ilje Deloriz – Upper Turno
5.  Marie Stopes Clinic – Pinky Mae Pagutayao – Bonifacio St.
6.   Agape Child Health Center & Technical Lab.–
           Ma.Theresa Michelle Daarol – Gen. Luna St.
7.   OKDI – Dr. Johnny I. Franco – Rizal Avenue
8.   St. Mary’s Clinic – Dr. April D. Lopez – Rizal Avenue
9.   Kuan Medical Clinic – Dr. Roosevelt Kuan – Gen. Luna St.
10. Lopez Clinic – Dr. Therese Lopez – Gen. Luna St.
11. Paul’s Drug Store – Dr. Valentino Tiu – Bonifacio St.
12. Velasco Medical Clinic – Dr. Horacio Velasco – P. Ramon St.
13. ZDN Integrated Provincial Hospital – Barra
14. ZN Cooperative Hospital – Turno
15. Acis Health Care Center – Quezon Avenue
16. St. Anthony Medical Clinic – P. Ramon St.
17. St. Martin De Porres Medical Clinic – Quezon Avenue, Gen. Luna
18. Well Family Clinic – Turno