Dominican Republic expands community health outreach and infrastructure

The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Public Health is conducting a nationwide medical outreach program titled ‘Más Salud y Bienestar’ (More Health and Wellbeing). The initiative aims to bring medical services directly to communities to identify undiagnosed diseases and provide necessary follow-up care.

Recent sessions of the program have taken place in Mao and La Romana. In Mao, residents accessed consultations in specialties such as pediatrics, gynecology, and cardiology, along with vaccinations and diagnostic tests. In La Romana, the program provided similar services at the Aristides García Mella Polytechnic. Health Minister Víctor Atallah emphasized that the program is designed to be proactive rather than reactive, stating that it ‘seeks people in their territory’ rather than waiting for them to visit a clinic.

To ensure continuity of care, patients are registered in a system to facilitate long-term medical tracking and access to medications. Additionally, the National Health Service (SNS) has completed renovations at the Las Galeras Clinical and Diagnostic Center in Samaná, investing over RD$5.5 million in infrastructure and medical equipment, including portable X-ray machines and ultrasound devices, to improve local diagnostic capabilities.