Healthcare facilities are essential pillars of every community, ensuring that residents conveniently get the medical care and attention they deserve.
Dr. Alfredo P. Manugas VI, the municipal health officer and Health Department head, has served at the San Fernando, Cebu Primary Healthcare Facility for roughly 15 years. He acknowledges the importance of modernizing facilities to provide better services to his patients and a safe workplace for his fellow health workers.
“This facility is close to my heart. Considering the length of my stay, this has become my second home,” he said.
The SM Foundation, the local government unit of San Fernando, Cebu and its mayor, Mytha Ann Canoy, have collaborated on upgrading the facility, which serves over 70,000 Cebuanos from 21 different barangays.
The clinic provides an array of medical services, from women’s and children’s health, birthing services and nutrition services to general medical consultation, family planning services to community-based rehabilitation, communicable disease programs, laboratory services and several others.
With the clinic upgrade, Manugas and his fellow health workers can now provide medical care using modern amenities and accessibility features necessary for a healthcare institution in the 21st century.
“The SM Foundation turned our facility upside down… Our Health Facility became a modern and ergonomically designed health care facility. They ensured that we have good ventilation and that we can provide comfort to both service users and service providers. In my 15 years of service, this is the first time that our health facility had a major refurbishment,” Manugas said.
Beyond providing a clean and safe environment, the social good arm of the SM group ensured that the facility is women-, children- and elderly-friendly. The health facility has PWD-friendly ramps and toilets, which are also easily accessible for senior citizens, pregnant women and individuals with special needs. There is also a mobile play cabinet and breastfeeding area designed to provide comfort to mothers and children during checkups.
Air-cleaning paints, locally sourced plants and LED-powered lighting fixtures and appliances were also used in the facility, aiming to reduce the center’s ecological footprint. The SFCPHF is also the second SMFI Health and Wellness Center to have a rainwater harvesting facility, allowing it to use non-potable recycled water for cleaning and flushing.
The renewed facility not only provides a clean and safe environment but also sets a new standard for healthcare excellence in the region, ensuring a brighter, healthier future for the residents of San Fernando, Cebu.