Gov. Benigno R. Fitial joined Public Health acting Secretary John Tagabuel in cutting the ceremonial ribbon at 2 p.m., yesterday.
Fitial said the mobile clinic is included in his healthcare platform when he ran for governor in 2005.
POW, he added, will help the people cope with the rising healthcare costs.
“There are many debilitating conditions here in the CNMI that can be prevented through early diagnosis, constant monitoring and adoption of a health lifestyle,” Fitial said.
According to Public Health, the POW van will provide residents access to healthcare services, including free and confidential health screenings and health education.
POW will provide screenings for blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol, glucose, nutrition assessment, pregnancy test, dental sealant and screening as well as eye screening.
The van will also be used to disseminate information regarding asthma, cancer, tuberculosis, diabetes, family planning, heart disease risk reduction as well as injury and infection prevention.
The van will be available for disaster preparedness by delivering vaccinations, medications and shelter in times of natural disasters like typhoon.
Tagabuel said the mobile clinic is “a baby step we all need to sustain.”
Health advocates, he added, like the Commonwealth Diabetes Coalition, the Commonwealth Cancer Coalition and the Kagman Komunidat Association were “the driving force” to achieve the goal of acquiring POW.
House Minority Leader Oscar M. Babauta, Covenant-Saipan, said the money used to purchase the van came from the $400,000 tobacco control fund which was originally earmarked for the proposed Kagman Community Health Center.
Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez, the members of the diabetes coalition, then-Deputy Public Health Secretary Lyn Tenorio and medical director Richard Brostrom proposed the acquisition of a mobile clinic in 2006.
The administration then approved the reprogramming of the Kagman wellness funds for the mobile clinic.
