---
In a deliberate step toward improving health services in Vega Baja, Mayor Marcos Cruz Molina welcomed newly appointed Health Secretary Victor Ramos to the northern coastal municipality’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center (CDT) late last week.
During their meeting, they discussed the recovery and reopening of the CDT, which has been closed since Hurricane Maria and is currently only partially operational, offering services from the WIC program and the Division of Services for People with Intellectual Disabilities.
Ramos expressed his support for the initiative to rehabilitate the CDT facilities and expand the services available in the region. Among the topics the officials discussed were the return of Medicaid services to Vega Baja, the expansion of the Demographic Registry through the One-Stop Shop, and the strengthening of programs such as WIC and others.
“The building is in relatively good condition and does not require a massive investment to fully enable it,” Ramos said. “This includes reopening the emergency room, continuing disability and WIC services, and adding Medicaid and the Mothers and Children [WIC nutritional] program. The goal is to bring most of the categorical programs of the Department of Health to Vega Baja and, of course, to reopen the emergency room.”
They also addressed the need to redirect the efforts of the Department of Health’s Environmental Health Division to tackle the problem of homeless animals in Puerto Rico, a situation affecting all municipalities on the island.
In response, Cruz Molina emphasized the importance of the visit for the Vega Baja community.
“We thank the Secretary of Health for his visit and, above all, for his commitment to opening these categorical programs in our city,” the mayor said. “It is particularly urgent to restore Medicaid services to the people of Vega Baja, as the closest offices are in three neighboring municipalities: Vega Alta, Manatí and Morovis. Additionally, reopening the emergency room is vital, considering its importance for the development of Vega Baja. We hope to advance these efforts in the coming months and work together for the benefit of our community.”
The mayor also requested that Ramos expand the services of the Demographic Registry, which is currently offered at the municipal One-Stop Shop Office, and that he train municipal staff to register births, streamlining the procedures for citizens.