DOH to conductNational
School Deworming Day on Jan. 27
By Alfonso T. Ruda
DIPOLOG
CITY, Jan.
19 (PIA) --- The Department of
Health is scheduled to conduct the second round of National School Deworming
Day on January 27, 2016.
In a media forum held at Mibang Hotel,
DOH IX Assistant Regional Director Joshua C. Brillantes appealed for the active
participation of the local media in informing the public especially the parents
and convince them to bring/accompany their children to school during the
deworming day.
The forum was conducted to avoid
what happened during the first round of the deworming activity last year that
was filled with text scares which was pinpointed as the main reason for the low
turn-out during the conduct of school-based immunization.
Dr. Brillantes clarified that the
mode of taking albendazole in this year’s deworming activity is through oral
not chewable as practiced last year and that it will be administered by the
school teachers under the supervision of a health personnel from the DOH.
He pointed out that albendazole will
only be taken two hours after the child has taken his/her meal or with a full
stomach. However, it will not be given to
children whose parents did not give their consent.
Public school teachers all over the
province were also given orientation on the conduct of the activity by DOH
region 9 personnel.
The deworming activity became the priority
of DOH after it was noted that a big number of schoolchildren are anemic. This
is a strong manifestation of the presence of
worms in their body which, if left unattended may result to the early
death of the child.
To maximize awareness of the parents,
ARD Brillantes urged local officials to hold barangay assembly and assured the
availability of a representative from the DOH as resource speaker.
He also encouraged Parents-Teachers
Association (PTA) to hold a meeting with its members and inform DOH for such
undertaking to provide speakers for appropriate information on the upcoming
activity.
DOH personnel led by ARD
Brillantes and Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Health Officer Dr.Eduardo Luayon
also guested the recent “Kapihan sa Dipolog” held at Sunburst Fried Chicken,
Hotel Camila I, this city for the same purpose.