500 residents benefit in Baguio day health fair

MORE than 500 residents availed of the free health services rendered during the Baguio Day Health Fair on Aug. 25 at the Baguio Convention Center.

City Health Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo said the activity’s theme was “Champions4Health” in keeping with the 108th Baguio charter anniversary guidepost, “Baguio at 108: The Land of Champions.”

Mayor Mauricio Domogan who graced the activity challenged the residents to aim and work for healthy lifestyle through words of wisdom and inspirational stories on diet, exercise and attitude.

Galpo said the services were provided onsite and through referral linkages.

Eleven major clusters of health programs were offered to the beneficiaries including dental services where patients availed of free tooth extraction and cleaning and optical specifically free eye refraction and distribution of free frames.

Patients were also treated to free immunization with pneumococcal and flu vaccines, laboratory services (dip stick screening and blood typing) and infectious diseases services like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, dengue fever and rabies.

There were also clusters on basic life support where lectures and demonstrations were conducted by the Emergency Medical Services; men, women and child’s health where IEC campaign was done; dermatology; adolescent; noncommunicable disease (eye check-up, health assessment and nutritional assessment); and alternative medicine cluster.

The annual health fair aims to provide equitable and quality health services to the people of Baguio, especially the poor, to lead the quest for excellence in health for the city as home of health champions and to strengthen Public-Private Partnership in health as an approach to address public health problems through the combined efforts of public, private and development organizations complimenting each other by contributing or sharing their core competencies and resources.

The activity was in cooperation with the Department of Health – Cordillera Administrative Region under regional director Dr. Lakshmi Legaspi, Engr. Gaudencio Tiwing of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Baguio City, Victory Liner Inc., Philippine Heart Association, Philippine Dermatologist Society, Baguio Everlasting Lions Club, Tempra, Baguio Local Eye Health Team, Philippine Dental Association–Baguio Chapter, ACS–Shield, ZABALA Pharmaceuticals and Vizcarra Pharmaceuticals. Aileen Refuerzo/Baguio City PIO