A medical mission was held by the VPHCS in Barangay
Tinibgan, Maribojoc last February 25.
The
mission was organized together with the Tinibgan Farmers’ Organization, the
barangay council of Tinibgan, local government unit of Maribojoc, Students’
Alliance for Community Health Services (SACHS), and Task Force Carabao –
Germany.
Services
included general medical consultations and physical examination of children
which included determination of their weights,
heights and visual acuity, check-up of general body systems and dental
status, and urinalysis.
VPHCS
staff and volunteer doctors included VPHCS dentist Dr. Petty Orbeta de Castro,
Dr. Grace Molina, Dr. Jose Edgar Alonso, Dr. Lilia Hernandez, Lourdes Geolin,
Linda de Castro, and Maribojoc Municipal Health Office Dr. Rey Belderol. Nursing student members of the SACHS also
rendered services in the mission.
VPHCS
volunteer and Dalaguete Municipal Health Officer Dr. Jose Edgar Alonso with a patient.
As a
result of the physical examination of the children, those with nutritional
status below normal and those with visual, dental, and probable kidney problems
were identified. Those with other
illnesses and acute problems were also
properly managed.
The
medical mission team.
Generally,
the problem of malnutrition both wasting and stunting was noted. Another problem identified was dental caries.
It is a reality that dentists are very rare in rural Bohol; a government dentist serves five or more than
five municipalities at a time so that it is only once a week that a dentist
goes to a certain municipality. However,
he renders services only in the
municipal health center where there are dental facilities and does not
go to the barangay health centers.
As a
result of the examination, a proposal was made to the Fil-Am Center for
Community Health and Development based in Pleasanton, California, U.S.A. through its President of the Board of
Trustees Dr. Hernandez, to support a project to render services in Tinibgan and
other areas of the VPHCs, specifically
to address malnutrition, vitamin and iron deficiencies, and dental problems
among the children.
The
services shall include monthly health education, dental services to include
tooth extraction, prophylaxis and filling of cavities, giving of medicines such
as iron tablets, Vitamin A tablets, deworming agents and for treatment of
diseases identified, and a nutrition program.
Health education shall be conducted among the parents of the children particularly on child
health care, nutrition and growth monitoring. More sustainable nutrition
programs such as backyard vegetable gardens and animal raising shall be
developed with the farmers’ organizations.
