Doc Annie: ‘A true spirit of service and commitment’

Dr. Annie Irene Rufo, the community dentist who died in a tragic road accident in Argao town, southern Cebu on September 4, 2023. | Photo from DOH Dentists Deployment Project Central Visayas’ Facebook page.

CEBU CITY, Philippines – On September 4, 2023, Cebu not only lost a healthcare professional but also a dedicated public servant whose mission was to help the underprivileged with their oral health needs.

This was how the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) described Dr. Annie Irene Rufo, one of the dentists in their Dentists Deployment Project in the region.

Rufo, often referred to by her peers as Doc Annie, died in a vehicular accident in Argao town last Monday, September 4.

The dentist was on her way to work in the municipality of Boljoon, also in southern Cebu when tragedy struck.

READ: Doctor dies in road accident in Argao, Cebu

Dr. Jaime Bernadas, DOH-7 director, said their department mourned the passing of Rufo.

“(We) mourn the untimely passing of Dr. Annie Irene O. Rufo, one of our committed healthcare professionals,” said Bernadas.

The DOH-7’s top official described the late dentist as a public servant who ‘exemplified the true spirit of service and commitment to their mission of ensuring the oral health and well-being of our Sugboanon.’

“Her skill, compassion, and unwavering dedication to the dental profession leaves an indelible void in the realm of public service,” said Bernadas.

“We offer our prayers and heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and relatives in this difficult time,” he added.

Prior to her untimely death, Rufo had been deployed to various localities in Cebu for the government’s Dentists Deployment Project.

There, she helped residents in far-flung communities, as well as the marginalized, by providing basic dental services.

Rufo had been previously assigned to Dalaguete, Argao, and Alcoy.

READ: Doctor who died in Argao accident was a community dentist assigned in Boljoon

She was assigned to Boljoon last April. Her next deployment would have been the town of Santander, according to the Dentists Deployment Project – Central Visayas’ Facebook page.

Her fellow dentists from the Dentists Deployment Project in Central Visayas also paid tribute to her legacy.

“Your work has made a difference in the lives of many and may your legacy inspire others to continue the mission and principles of the Department of Health- Dentists Deployment Program towards a Healthy Pilipinas,” they said.

Local officials in Cebu also mourned Rufo’s death and expressed gratitude towards her dedication in supporting their constituents for their dental needs.

/bmjo