Valenzuela City welcomed doctors and medical students from the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science – Merwyn M. Dymally School of Nursing in Los Angeles, California, USA, so they could study the city’s public health programs and infrastructures recently.

City health officer Dr. Jaime M. Exconde, Jr. led local officials in welcoming the delegation composed of a dean, three faculty members and nine students on Monday, March 23.

Assistant professor and Philippine mission coordinator Dr. Nanette Leonardo said in her letter to the city mayor their visit hopes to “pave the way to mutual and bilateral partnerships in the future thru educational trainings, logistics and research which [their] university desires to pursue.”

The private, non-profit institution had already conducted similar educational and medical missions in the African nation of Ghana and in Mexico.

The Americans went on a tour around city government facilities for health and medical care such as the barangay health station at the Karuhatan 3S Center and the Polo Lying-In Clinic and barangay health station at the Polo 3S Center.

The entourage also visited the 50-bed Valenzuela City Emergency Hospital in Brgy. Dalandanan, where they held an open forum.

Dr. Leonardo, a former Valenzuela City Government physician and now based in California, noted also in the said letter that they are looking forward to “a positive exchange of ideas with [the city’s] health employees and clients as [they] move forward towards globalization and addressing various health disparities.

November last year, the University of Andalas in Indonesia also sent here a team of medical academicians with a similar mission of learning about the city’s policies and best practices on medical and primary health care services.

Valenzuela City was hailed as “Champion of Health Governance” in the country on June 2013 by Merck Sharp & Dohme, the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, and the Ateneo School of Government for “effectiveness, innovativeness, community engagement, local leadership, and transparency and accountability.

Under the administration of Mayor REX Gatchalian health is one of the prime concerns of action under the chief executive’s Five Pillars of Good Governance program.

After the Valenzuela visit, the delegation would be heading to the town of St. Bernard in Southern Leyte for a medical and surgical mission.