The State of the Barangay Health Centers of Tanauan City, Batangas: An In-Depth Study

Abstract

Health is a basic human right. It determines the productivity of the work force; hence, it is one of the major factors of economic development. In this case, quality health care should be accessible to all. Efforts to increase the accessibility of the health care system from the side of the government have been made, like the devolution of the health care system through the introduction of rural health units and the Barangay Health Centers in virtue of the Primary Health Care system which was introduced in the 1970s. The Barangay Health Center is the lowest branch of the organizational setup of the Primary Health Care system; hence it is where the first contact of the health care system with patient occurs. It administers free basic health services like maternal health care, immunization programs and free medicines, and is concerned with the improvement and maintenance of the basic health indicators of the people. The Barangay Health Centers then are of utmost importance when it comes to the health care of the people from distant or rural areas who cannot afford to go to hospitals which are usually located in cities. The accessibility of the Barangay Health Centers of Tanauan city is greatly affected by their geographic distance from the people. Hence, the Barangay Health Centers and the organization attempts of the City Health Office and Local Government Unit are only accessible to those who live near the Barangay Health Centers. This proves to be problematic to those who live far from the Barangay Health Centers since they only comprise the minority of those who avail of the free health services. The accessibility of the Barangay Health Centers of Tanauan city, then, is the major concern of this research. Twenty out of the forty three Barangay Health Centers of Tanauan city are used as representatives of the Barangay Health Centers ofTanauan city as a whole.