Medical mission benefits 1T folks in San Fernando

CEBU, Philippines - Over a thousand residents of Panadtaran in San Fernando town received much needed medical attention as Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Incorporated brought back to their barangay the much-awaited medical mission for the third time in five years.

The most recent mission served 547 adults and 497 children, according to the company physician Dr. Ildebrando E. Estella, who led five volunteer doctors, two dentists and optometrists from EyeTune Optical.

Some 831 among them received free medical consultation and brought home enough medicines to treat their ailments, disclosed Estella, adding that 147 others who are all adults were diagnosed to have some eyesight problems and got free spectacles.

Also, 60 adults and six children had their teeth examined, with most of them having their bad tooth extracted, bared the company’s dentist-on-retainer Dra. Pearl Cabauatan and volunteer dentist Dr. Philip Oacan.

The TCPI medical mission first served Panadtaran in November 2009 when it attended to 989 patients, then in September 2011 that served 1,114 residents, all in collaboration with materials supplier Solid Earth Development Corporation.

Both firms have been conducting medical missions three times a year since 2006 under a joint Social Development Management Program that also pursues other programs for 12 stakeholder barangays in San Fernando.

In this third Panadtaran mission conducted at the Baysa gym, organizers noted that predominant cases among adults were hypertension, hyperacidity, headaches, arthritis, muscle pain, and cases that only needed vitamin supplementation.

Cases of asthma, ear infection, fever, bacterial skin infection, gastroenteritis and dental caries were noted among children, with a number of them found to be in need of deworming and vitamin supplements.

The medical mission also noted in both adults and children common cases as colds and cough, both due to upper respiratory tract infection, a medical condition common in all parts of the country, explained Dr. Estella.

As point person for SDMP, SEDC senior manager for human resources and administration Emylita Ortega supervised the mission with her community development officer Gines Boltron and his TCPI counterpart Vanessa N. Bongcawil.

TCPI community relations coordinators Efren Labrado and Rolando Manalop also assisted the dentists and physicians, among them Drs. Debra Capulong, Jojie Ceniza, Norma Infantado, Rachel Mayormita and Bing Palay.

Dr. Estella oversaw the release of free medicines and vitamins with company nurses Danila Sabrido and Fredbert Cortes.

Panadtaran residents who benefited from the mission thanked TCPI and SEDC as sheer poverty often denied them the opportunity to get needed medical attention and to acquire necessary medicines. (FREEMAN)