HANDS ON. Palayan City Mayor Adrianne May Cuevas (second from right) discusses ways to help farmers skirt middlemen with agriculture technicians at a crop storage facility built by the city government for farmers. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Palayan City Mayor Adrianne Mae Joson Cuevas plans to apply her nurse’s touch should she be given the chance to serve as Nueva Ecija’s governor.
Cuevas plans to use her knowledge as a registered nurse to upgrade the much-needed health services of the province.
“Gusto kong maimprove the services, facilities at equipment. At Kapag naayos ko ang sistema, we would add more hospitals. Magpapatayo tayo lalo sa malalayong lugar,” Cuevas told the Inquirer in an interview.
The province currently has one provincial hospital and several district hospitals, most of which are lacking in proper equipment, manpower and medicines.
“Malaki ang Nueva Ecija, kaya kulang talaga,” she said.
Cuevas promised to provide additional manpower like nurses and medical staff who will cater to the medical needs of Novo Ecijanos.
She also vowed to work it out with medical associations so that doctors will be available in the hospitals 24/7.
Cuevas also eyes to have all hospitals be on a zero balance billing system like the national hospitals.
“Karamihan dito sa amin sa private hospital sila nagpupunta kasi they would say they would die pag sa public hospital,” she said.
“Kaya gusto nating mapaayos ang medical services ng ating mga ospital.”
As a three-term mayor of Palayan City, Cuevas was able to initiate the construction of the city’s own 40-bed capacity hospital complete with facilities.
She is also currently building an isolation facility that can be used as an isolation center in case of a COVID-19 surge.
Cuevas also established a dialysis center, which provides free treatment to Palayanos.