TACLOBAN CITY – Access to life-saving kidney treatment in Northern Samar is set to improve with the upcoming construction of a hemodialysis center at the Allen District Hospital (ADH), following a groundbreaking ceremony led by provincial officials.

The event, held on the hospital grounds in Allen town, was graced by 2nd District Representative Governor Edwin Ongchuan, Vice Governor Clarence Dato, Board Member Arturo Dubongco Jr., and members of the Manook family, who generously donated the land for the facility. Also present were ADH Chief Dr. Joseph Cary Tomada, along with hospital officials and staff.

The facility is part of the provincial government’s plan to establish three dialysis centers across Northern Samar to meet the growing demand for treatment, especially in underserved areas.

The Allen center will primarily serve patients from the Balicuatro area, which includes the towns of Allen, Lavezares, San Isidro, and Victoria, as well as the island municipalities of San Antonio, Capul, and San Vicente.

At present, the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital (NSPH) is the only public health facility offering dialysis services in the province. Due to limited capacity, many patients are forced to seek treatment at private clinics or travel to nearby cities such as Calbayog or Tacloban.
Another dialysis center is planned for the G.B. Tan Memorial Hospital in Laoang, which will cater to patients from the Pacific area. These initiatives aim to decentralize access to dialysis treatment and reduce the financial and physical burden on patients and their families.

“This facility is one of the three dialysis centers the provincial government aims to operate to adequately respond to the needs of our people,” the provincial government said in a statement. “We also hope to add more dialysis machines at the NSPH to serve the central towns.”

The construction of these centers is in line with Governor Harris Ongchuan’s administration agenda, which prioritizes healthcare, along with capacity building, climate resilience, and economic opportunities.

Once completed, the new dialysis center is expected to significantly improve access to affordable, quality care for patients in Northern Samar battling chronic kidney disease.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY – A head-on collision between two motorcycles left two drivers injured and a teenage back rider slightly hurt in an early morning accident along the national road in Barangay Lilo-an, this city, on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.

According to Police Captain Jason Mateo, chief of the Ormoc Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU), the victims were identified as alias “Alde,” 49, a vendor and resident of Tzu Chi Village in Brgy. Lilo-an, and alias “El-el,” 19, a junior high school student from Brgy. San Juan. Both were brought to the Ormoc District Hospital for medical attention.

A back rider of “El-el,” identified as alias “Sham,” 15, a student from Brgy. Jica Lao, sustained minor injuries and opted for self-medication.

Initial police investigation revealed that both motorcycles—a Euro driven by “Alde” and a Honda driven by “El-el”—were traveling in opposite directions. Upon reaching the area of the incident at around 6:50 a.m., the Honda motorcycle reportedly attempted to overtake another vehicle and veered into the opposite lane, resulting in a head-on collision with the oncoming Euro motorcycle.

Responding TEU officers and the Ormoc Rescue Team rushed to the scene following a call from a concerned citizen. Both motorcycles have been taken into custody by authorities for proper disposition.

Police remind motorists, especially students and young drivers, to exercise caution and avoid reckless overtaking, especially on national roads with high traffic volume.

(ROBERT DEJON)

ORMOC CITY-Five individuals, all students riding a habal-habal motorcycle, were injured after colliding with a subcompact crossover SUV along the national highway in Barangay Borac, Naval, Biliran, around 5:20 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.

The victims, identified by police only through aliases—“Aura” (13), “Thea” (12), “Arjie” (minor), and “Dayday” (age not specified)—are all residents of Barangay Bato, Biliran. They were passengers on a habal-habal motorcycle en route to their home barangay when the accident occurred.

The SUV driver, identified as alias “Laila,” 58, a self-employed resident of Brgy. Lucsoon, Naval, was driving a Toyota Yaris Cross. She was unharmed in the incident.

According to the investigation conducted by responding officers from the Naval Municipal Police Station, both vehicles were traveling in opposite directions— the SUV heading toward the town proper of Naval, and the habal-habal heading toward Brgy. Bato. Upon reaching the accident site, the front tire of the habal-habal reportedly burst, causing the driver to lose control and crash into the oncoming SUV.

The injured students were immediately rushed to the Biliran Provincial Hospital for medical treatment. The severity of their injuries has not yet been disclosed.

Both vehicles were brought to the Naval police station for further investigation and proper disposition.

Authorities remind motorists, especially those using motorcycles to carry multiple passengers, to regularly inspect their vehicles and observe safe driving practices to prevent similar accidents.

(ROBERT DEJON)