The Department of Health (DOH) called on local government units (LGUs) to “invest” in primary care services.

“We call on all our local government units to step up and fulfill their role of implementing primary care,” said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire on Thursday, Oct. 6.

“Primary care is hinged on providing preventive health care services, which means that it relies on early screening, management, and referral to delay the onset of complications,” she added.

Primary care services refers to consultations, immunization and nutrition for infants, provision of free medicines, screening and diagnosis of common communicable and non-communicable disease, the DOH said.

This also involves “health education and counseling on risk factors and diseases,” the DOH said.

Vergeire said that investing in primary care will make health services more accessible for the public as it “means advancing equity.”

“A reliable primary care system affords more of our kababayans the opportunity to access health services that they would otherwise not be able to enjoy under a health system that prioritizes high-cost specialist care,” she said.

On Thursday, the DOH launched the “Primary Care Day” in Lubao, Pampanga.

“The Primary Care Day launch is the first of many primary care service provision activities initiated by the DOH to highlight the importance of investing in primary care and reshaping the current specialist-centered health system to take on a more preventive-focused approach,” the DOH said.

“The Primary Care Day was likewise launched to underscore the crucial role of Local Government Units as the main architects of local health systems anchored on primary care,” it added.