Coastal Management Board holds medical mission today

A medical mission will be held at Fort San Pedro today by the city’s Coastal Management Board, as part of the celebration of the Sinulog festival.

About 1,800 poor residents of the coastal barangays of Mambaling, Pasil, Basak Pardo, Basak San Nicolas, Duljo Fatima, and Cogon Pardo are expected to avail themselves of free medical and dental check up, and medicines.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama, chairman of the CMB, said the medical mission during Sinulog has been held every Sinulog for the past four years. The board’s goal in providing health and sanitation for city residents “has already become part of the Sinulog celebration.”

Rama said the six barangays were chosen for this year’s mission after other coastal barangays became its beneficiaries in the previous years.

The CMB has chosen 300 residents from each of the six barangays. Each of these residents was given a card with a distinct color identifying which barangay he or she belongs.

Cogon Pardo barangay captain Eugenio Gabuya Jr., who also sits as chairman of the infrastructure committee of the CMB, said these beneficiaries of the mission are among the poorest of the poor.

“The barangay governemnt cannot afford to provide the medical needs of its residents because of a very small budget. That’s why we are very thankful that we have this medical mission,” Gabuya said.

The mission will start from 8am and will end at 4pm or 5pm. The barangays that will be accommodated in the morning are Basak San Nicholas, Duljo-Fatima and Pasil while those in the afternoon are barangays Cogon Pardo, Mambaling, and Basak Pardo.

Volunteer doctors, nurses, and medical technologists from the city health department will examine the residents’ blood pressure and vital signs, then screen them for diabetes and cholesterol level.

Rose Pharmacy and Unilab will provide the medicines for those who may be confirmed having an ailment. — Wenna A. Berondo/RAE