CEBU CITY — To enhance the delivery of health care services in the Visayas region, 16 mobile clinics were distributed to 16 local government units (LGUs).

The mobile clinics are equipped to provide essential medical services and perform minor surgeries.

During the celebration of the 455th Founding Anniversary of Cebu province at the Capitol grounds on Monday, the units were turned over to provincial government representatives.

The turnover ceremony was graced by first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and Undersecretary Glenn Mathew Baggao. At least eight governors from Visayas personally received the mobile clinics.

Known as the Bagong Pilipinas Mobile Clinics program, this initiative aims to deliver crucial health care services to remote areas.

Each mobile clinic is fitted with advanced medical equipment, including X-ray machines, ultrasound devices, hematology analyzers, binocular microscopes, and chemistry analyzers, enabling the medical team to perform minor surgeries such as Operation Bukol and Operation Tuli.

The program also allows provincial hospitals to deploy these mobile units for medical missions, extending their reach and impact across isolated regions.

The mobile clinics have been dispatched to Cebu, Siquijor, Bohol, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Iloilo, Guimaras, Antique, Capiz, and Aklan.

Baggao said the primary goal of this program is to serve communities facing significant barriers to health care access.

He said that functioning as mobile mini-hospitals, these clinics can travel between locations to ensure even the most isolated communities receive essential health services.

Baggao also said that the LGUs have been tasked to manage and operate the clinics in coordination with LGU-recognized provincial or district hospitals.

He said that each mobile clinic is worth P10 million.

Out of the 83 mobile clinics planned for nationwide distribution, about 50 have already been deployed, with the remaining units intended to be delivered in Mindanao.

Meanwhile, the first lady announced that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has committed to expand the initiative by delivering additional mobile clinics to all municipalities next year. The focus, she said, will shift from provincial to town-level distribution.