By Celeste Tamayo
MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) has stressed the importance of strengthening preventive care in the country to prevent hospital overcapacity.
According to DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo, the overcrowding in hospitals is a result of the inadequacy in primary care facilities.
He explained that the shortage of smaller clinics and hospitals forces more patients to seek treatment at major hospitals like the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
To address this, the DOH has designated 21 accredited hospitals in Metro Manila to help alleviate congestion at PGH.
Domingo also highlighted the importance of health promotion in addition to primary care. He emphasized that to reduce cases of strokes and heart attacks, the public needs better access to nutritious food rather than processed foods, which contribute to these health issues.
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