PRESS RELEASE
March 3, 2009
Office of Caloocan City Mayor Enrico “Recom” Echiverri
Ref. Public Information Office
Telefax 3244644

With almost anything going mobile, the Caloocan City government has acquired two state-of-the-art mobile clinics that are capable of providing free medical and dental care to the residents.

According to Caloocan City Mayor Enrico “Recom” Echiverri, the specialized and fully-equipped mobile clinics, which are manned by licensed medical personnel, has been criss-crosssing the city’s two main districts along a scheduled route in order to give free consultations, medicines and first aid to those in need of immediate medical attention.

"This is a meaningful and important project for the residents. Caloocan City is geographically divided into two land areas, and we believe that these self-sufficient mobile clinics are the best choice to provide necessary medical care to those in hard-to-reach areas of the city. They are also our best solution against unforeseen emergencies and disasters,” Echiverri said.

For her part, City Health Officer Dr. Racquel So-Sayo, however, noted that there is still an ever-increasing medical need to address despite the best efforts of the city’s 42 health centers which regularly service an estimated 1.4 million residents.

So-Sayo said that these mobile units are the most effective in delivering health services to residents because they can travel along a scheduled route and regularly attend to a group of patients in different areas by monitoring and following-up on their medical progress.

These mobile clinics also ensure that those who might be too sick to travel or who may not be able to afford it can still receive immediate medical care, she added.

On the other hand, City General Services Officer Caroliza delos Santos said the mobile clinics, which are built inside six-wheeler Isuzu vans, are capable of providing minor surgical procedures, contraceptives procedures, dental care, prenatal care, postpartum care, gynecological examinations, child immunizations and laboratory tests.

Delos Santos added that the inside of a clinic is divided into an operating and gynecological examination room, an ultrasound, ECG and vaccination room, and a patient consultation room. Equipped with everything from a high-tech dental chair to an ECG monitoring machine, these mobile clinics ensure proper care for residents, most especially the underprivileged.