November of 2010, Tan Yan Kee Foundations Nebulizer on Wheels rolled out in the Province of Antique. Receiving one nebulizer unit and 10 consumable kits each where the Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital, Belison Rural Health Unit, Ramon Mara, Sr. Memorial District Hospital, Hamtic Rural Health Unit, Tobias Fornier Rural Health Unit, and Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Memorial District Hospital.
A profile of each recipient health unit showed the following:
Angel Salazar Mem. Gen. Hospital
San Jose, Antique
Data provided by Provincial Health Officer II Dr. Ric Noel Naciongayo
Hospital is under renovation with funding from DOH. This is the only level III hospital in the province of Antique with a100 bed capacity but actual admittance reaches 300 beds.
The province has nine hospitals serving 18 towns and is within top four of morbidity rate. Population is mostly susceptible community acquire upper respiratory tract infection such as pneumonia, EGF, trauma, gastroenteritis because of lack of safe water sources.
A dialysis unit operated by a private company gives the hospital a 10% share adding to hospital revenue. It needs equipment such as an X-ray machine and a CT Scan machine. No hospital in the province has a CT Scan machine.
Belison Rural Health Unit
Belison, Antique
Data provided by Municipal Health Officer Dr. Richard Labiao
Belison is a fifth class municipality. The hospital has 3 BHS with nebulizer. The nebulizer is used for free but patients have to provide their kits. Asthma is number one cause of morbidity due to environmental conditions and sudden changes of weather.
Ramon Mara Sr. Memorial District Hospital
Catering to the towns of Sibalom, San Remigio, and San Jose, the district hospital is classifiend Level II with a 25-bed capacity servicing the equivalent of 50 beds. The old hospital was constructed in 1978 and the new one in 1999. The Province of Antique funds the hospital .
Adult and pediatric pneumonia ranks high among the top ten illnesses here mostly suffered by indigent patients. A heavy-duty nebulizer is used and there are five other nebulizers with a two-year replacement plan.
Hamtic Rural Health Unit
Hamtic, Antique
Data provided by Midwife Analiza Rumbines
(Municipal Health Officer Dr. Ma. Eva Pacificador was out of town for a seminar
and the Nurse was in San Jose, Antique for a meeting.)
One nebulizer portable Unit is available but not in working condition. There are actually two nebulizer units in the municipality and 47 barangays having one eachm installed in RHUs. They are for use by patients free of charge but nebules are for patients’ account. Tubings are reused and cleaned with soap and tap water.
Population of Hamtic is at 48,057 as of 2010. It is a 3rd class municipality. Medicines are made available by the local government unit.
Tobias Fornier Rural Health Unit
Tobias Fornier, Antique
Data provided by Municipal Health Officer Dr. Ramon Moscoso, Jr.
There are two units of nebulizers here but one is not working. Eight BHS have nebulizers that are used free of charge, but patients have to provide their own kits.
Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Memorial District Hospital
Tobias Fornier, Antique
Formerly Gov. Mamerto Portillo Memorial Hospital, this is a primary level hospital with assistance from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the provincial government. It carries a P14million budget and has a 15-bed capacity with an excess of 50 beds.