To provide the basic medical needs of the poor, the Quezon City government will field on March 24 the city’s first mobile health center in Cubao where it will function like regular public health centers.

The mobile health center on wheels program will be equipped with laboratory, examination rooms and dental facilities to reach out to a greater population in dire need of medical assistance.

In its initial deployment, voluntary counseling and testing program will be conducted to individuals facing high-risk behavior of contacting sexually transmitted diseases.

At present, Quezon City has 60 health centers with 39 or 66 percent being given the Sentrong Sigla certification by the Department of Health (DoH) for being compliant with the national standards for public health care.

The city government is building a medical facility beside the old Quezon City General Hospital and renovating Novaliches District Hospital in a bid to further boost the delivery of the basic health services nearer to the public.

“Gradually we are ensuring that Quezon City is where one can get the easiest access to good but affordable medical care,’’ Belmonte noted.