Bataraza town were provided with free medical and dental services Tuesday, March 3, as part of the barangay’s 56th Founding Anniverary Celebration.
The medical and dental mission was initiated and funded by the local barangay council of Rio Tuba in partnership with the town’s major mining companies both Coral Bay Nickel Mining Corporation (CBNC), Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation (RTNM), and Unichamp Minerals Philippines Incorporated.
A pool of doctors, nurses and dentists from the local Rural Health Unit (RHU), Department of Health (DOH), the local government unit (LGU) of Bataraza and the neighboring town of Brookes Point spearheaded the one day medical outreach.
Services such as medical consultations, basic dental services, hygiene seminars, tooth extraction and provision of free medicine prescriptions were provided by the medical experts.
Volunteer physicians, nurses and barangay health workers also provided essential care and health education to the thousand beneficiaries in line with the barangay’s aim to bring closer the various health and community services to upgrade the health status and lifestyle of the residents of the said town.
Jocelyn Parafina, Rio Tuba’s Barangay Secretary, in an interview said that although the barangay council, through the help CBNC and RTNM, conducts a monthly medical mission to the eleven (11) sitios under their jurisdiction, it is vital to continously provide more health and medical services reach out locals, especially the indigents and those who resides at far-flung areas within the community.
“Lakbay-Barangay is held monthly in different sitios in our barangay. In total we have 11 sitios but we exclude the townsite so we cater 10 sitios, one sitio per month ang ating medical mission start tayo ng January and so on,” Parafina said.
“Ang aim ng ating barangay government through Kap Nelson Acob is to bring the services closer to the people. Kumbaga, dinadala natin lahat ng serbisyo na puwede para sa community,” she added.
Dr. Maria Rebethia Acala, RHU Officer, on the other hand, said that medical and dental missions like this are being promulgated consistently as part of the mission of both mining companies to ensure that every stakeholder in the community, especially its residents, are equipped with proper health and medical support through the help of the barangay and the municipality.
“May programa ang barangay na nagiikot tayo sa mga sitios para maibigay ang serbisyo para sa mga tao lalo na sa mga nangangailangan,” Acala said.
Lakbay-Barangay Medical and Dental Mission also provided Philhealth Profiling, PWD Certification, Death Certification Services and Basic Laboratory Tests.
Based on the records, common cases of flu, pneumonia, hypertension and diabetes ranging from patients as young as seven (7) months old up to 87 years old composed the most number of cases during the medical mission.
Acala added that although the medical mission was scheduled for only a day, the free dental services such as tooth extraction and check up will be extended until March 13.
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