By Grace Montallana
DIPOLOG CITY - “We are
appealing to the media people to support our program,” Ms. Virgie Galaretta, health
education promotions officer of the Department of Health (DOH)-9 told the press
in a forum held Friday at the Top Plaza Hotel here.
Galaretta
also said the forum was conducted to give the media practitioners accurate
information about the programs pursued by the DOH especially on its deworming
and immunization activities.
The
investigation result on the last mass deworming activity in schools was also
presented in the forum.
As
reported, several students complained of stomach pains and difficulty in
breathing after taking the deworming tablets. This, Galaretta said, affected
the School-based Immunization Program (SIP) for grades 1-7 students that ensued
days after the deworming activity.
Galaretta reported that a
decrease in the number of students immunized during the conduct of immunization
of Measles Containing Vaccines (MCV) and Tetanus and diphtheria (Td) for Grade
1 and Measles Rebulla (MR) and Td for Grade 7 was observed.
The DOH is now tapping the media
to help publicize its immunization program to encourage the students and the
parents actively participate in the October 16, 2015 immunization program.
Galaretta assured the students
that the medicines to be given to them are safe.
Provincial Sanitary Inspector
Restie Kyamko, on the other hand, underscored the importance of cleanliness in
the surroundings and homes to prevent dengue and other diseases caused by
mosquito bites like filariasis, which would result in the enlargement of
extremities and lymph nodes especially in end-stage cases. This disease can only
be determined 5 to 10 years after a person got infected.
Persons
suffering from filariasis can avail of free operations, medicines and
laboratory, Health Education Promotions Officer Wilma R. Bulahan of the
Provincial Health Office said.