Addressing hundreds of barangay chairmen and kagawads from District 1 (Tondo) during the first People’s Day for 2009, Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim said he has distributed at least 50 wheelchairs donated to his office by Phi Kappa Mu Fraternity of the UP-PGH, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) and individuals which he in turn personally delivered to deserving residents during the Christmas holidays, when everyone else was busy celebrating.
For the year 2009, he said, “we have 200 wheelchairs donated by the medical fraternity of the UP-Philippine General Hospital. I want you to register with my office any of your constituents needing these chairs and I will personally deliver them,” the Mayor said.
He said for 2008, the city (through the Ospital ng Sampaloc and Ospital ng Tondo) gave free cataract operations to 700 residents, with free eyeglasses, using high tech machines. The operation lasted only 15 minutes per person, he added.
He added that 32 free breast cancer operations have been undertaken at the Ospital ng Maynila in 2008.
For February 2009, he said, there will be free operations for cleft lip and cleft palate also at the Ospital ng Maynila, the Mayor informed the District 1 officials.
A barangay chairman praised the Mayor for reducing the cost of birth certificate to P30 from P120 during his predecessor.
The Mayor reported that that Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center us being renovated and the facilities upgraded for better medical services to the residents. He said before the blood chemistry was being done monthly but now this service is being given daily.
He added that all 49 health centers in the city have complete medicines needed by the residents.