Stroke rehabilitation center opens in Barangay Tibungco, Davao City

A community-based rehabilitation center for stroke patients has opened in Barangay Tibungco, Davao City, giving survivors a place to continue therapy and medical care closer to where they live, according to The Manila Times.

Sen. Bong Go and Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte led the ribbon-cutting on October 27. The event was held together with the blessing and turnover of the nearby Tibungco Super Health Center.

Go, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said the new facility would save patients and their families trips to hospitals for consultations and therapy. He noted that a patient was already being served at the center. "They can now receive medical consultations and undergo rehabilitation right here," Go said.

The senator said rehabilitation is a key part of recovering from a stroke, since survivors often struggle with movement, coordination, speech and other bodily functions that need long-term care. He also pointed to the financial and household strain that recovery can place on families and caregivers.

Go cited Republic Act 11959, the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which he principally authored and sponsored. The law requires Department of Health (DOH) hospitals nationwide to set up specialty centers, including those for cardiovascular care, brain and spine treatment, and physical rehabilitation medicine. In Davao City, the Southern Philippines Medical Center offers specialized cardiovascular services, and Go said he has backed the development of cardiac catheterization facilities there.

The Tibungco Super Health Center is intended to provide consultations, diagnostic services and preventive care in underserved communities, the report said. Go called for coordination among the DOH, local government units and health workers to make sure such facilities are properly equipped and staffed, and credited the city government and local health officials for supporting the projects.