Sunday, February 5, 2012

Brgy. North Poblacion Medical Mission

My present employer, Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Inc. usually holds a series of medical missions every year as part of its Social Development and Management Program (SDMP). In collaboration with its raw materials supplier, Solid Earth Development Corporation, these activities are strategically carried out to any of the barangays being identified to experience impacts of our plant’s operations.

In 2011, four medical missions were conducted and one of these took place in Barangay North Poblacion, San Fernando, Cebu. With the active participation of the barangay council, barangay health workers (BHWs) and volunteers, the event was positively received by the residents.

And with my Sony NEX-C3 camera, which was new and just about to be used for the first time at that time, here are some of the catchy pics I had taken.

Click the images to enlarge

Date Taken: October 22, 2011
Location: San Fernando Central Elementary School, San Fernando, Cebu, Philippines

Blood Pressure Check

Blood Pressure Check

There’s definitely no medical mission in history in which, the checking of vital signs was excluded. One of the significant points of this checkup is the use of sphygmomanometer and stethoscope to check the patient’s blood pressure (BP). The woman who does it in the picture is actually my officemate, and you have to know she is not a nurse but rather a hardworking employee of our purchasing department. Competitive!

Doctor, Doctor! I am Sick...

Doctor, Doctor! I am Sick…

By the confused look of the kid, we may sort of presume that’s he’s not in good shape. His mother might have felt it lately, so here they are, availing the free checkup and consultation by one of our volunteer doctors.

Nurse in Action

Nurse in Action

Now, this officemate of mine is in fact a licensed nurse! Checking the patient’s blood pressure must have been a worry-free task for her. Well, it’s the least that a nurse can offer.

The Helpful Security and Crowd Control Officer

The Helpful Security and Crowd Control Officer

In free-of-charge activities such as medical missions, organizers must expect that a considerable number of people may take part and take advantage of the services being offered. With such a situation at hand, security and crowd control officers are strategically assigned at the venue so as to maintain order. A bonus benefit for the participants if the officer they try to consult possesses sense of courtesy and responsiveness. Right, Chief?

Don’t Move! I will Thermometer-Gun You Down

Don’t Move! I will Thermometer-Gun You Down

Some devices have certainly evolved in their ways. Take for example the thermometer, which used to be a simple stick instrument containing mercury. Through time, it evolved and was digitalized. Then recently, it was modified and added with laser technology, a trigger, and a grip to become more hand-friendly. Now that it looks like a gun, if you were a health worker, it’s an imperative to put some dramatic expressions on your face as you check your patient’s body temperature. And to the patient, keep that “I’m scared!” act. :P

Queuing for Free Medicines

Queuing for Free Medicines

Don’t even think that this medical mission was carried out at a prison, alright. It’s just that the pharmacy station, which provides free medicines to patients as per doctors’ prescription, was just located at a gated area of the venue. This is for crowd control purposes. Now, here’s your medicines, dude. :)

Boxes of Medicinal Giveaways

Boxes of Medicinal Giveaways

These are some of the medicines that were given away during the medical mission. Not only capsules and tablets were offered but also drops and syrups. Aside from medicines, multivitamins were then included because as you know it, prevention is better than cure.

Tell Me Where It Hurts, My Baby

Tell Me Where It Hurts, My Baby

That’s one of our volunteer dentists. She’s trying to figure out which of the kid’s teeth hurts so she’ll be able to commence the extraction. I could still remember what the kid said afterwards: “Swear it won’t hurt”. Awww. Now you’re putting pressure on Ms. Dentist, boy.

Young Patients Awaiting

Young Patients Awaiting

These are the brave kids who showed up in the medical mission. You can’t really tell their bravery with their tense and uneasy looks though. We tried to calm them down by letting them watch TV programs. It’s just that most of them we’re thinking the process would include sharp needles and pain. Not really…only tooth extraction. :P

Watching while Waiting

Watching while Waiting

Kids are kids, and in fairly serious occasions like a medical mission, it can’t be helped that they tend to search for childish fun to the point of messing around. So to avoid it, here’s the television + DVD player. Now, watch as you wait.

Medical Consultation is a Very Serious Thing

Medical Consultation is a Very Serious Thing

It seems one of our volunteer doctors just got so carried away with determining the medical condition of her girl patient. Very serious. Smile a bit. LOL!

Kids “We Were There at the Medical Mission”

Kids: “We Were There at the Medical Mission”

Yes, they were there! Here are two of the children who fell in line to register for the medical mission. They way they stare is like telling me “you ought to know we participated!”. No one argues against that though. I know you did. Hehehe.

Innocently Anxious

Innocently Anxious

I think this is the best photo I got from the event. I took this at the registration desk. Apart from being so nervous about what the doctors would possibly do, this toddler surely isn’t well. But she’ll be.

Barangay Volunteers

Barangay Volunteers

What’s good about medical missions isn’t only the fact that there’s free medical checkup and free medicines, but also the presence of voluntary cooperation from the residents through the local council. Here’s one in uniform! Such a diligent Mr. Crowd Control Officer.

The Health-Conscious Grandma

The Health-Conscious Grandma

Sometimes when we see old persons, we jokingly say “they only have very little time left in this world”. That’s true though ‘cause aging implies deterioration of life. But as long as there is life, value it by staying healthy…just like what this grandma does.

Modern Eye Checkup

Modern Eye Checkup

The medical mission also offered free eye checkup—thanks to our optometric partners who, in this modern era, have also took their job to higher levels by introducing modern optical instruments such as that Shin Nippon apparatus that you see in the pic. That was a Snellen chart back then…

Free Spectacles

Free Spectacles

Upon optical examination, those who were identified to have significant sight problems had the chance to own a pair of reading glasses. The nice catch here was that it’s gratis and available in several colors.

Dental Tools

Dental Tools

These are some of the tools that were taken by the dentists out of their bags. They placed them on a long table, and as I tried to identify any of them, I ended up realizing I know nothing. But the tools were cool!

Tooth Extraction Caught on Cam

Tooth Extraction Caught on Cam

I actually have more pics of this type, but this one is the most decent. I mean, with due respect to those who are not used to seeing the process of tooth extraction, you can bear looking at this one. The dentist seems to be good ‘cause I don’t see any signs of pain from his patient. Or maybe, I should thank his glove-covered hand for that. Ha! :)

Scenario at the Registration Desk

Scenario at the Registration Desk

The mission’s registration desk actually consisted not only of TCPI and SEDC employees (wearing white shirts) but also of North Poblacion’s BHWs (wearing pink shirts). This photo was taken during snack time, and registration was still on the go despite that. Gladly, as no more registrants were sighted, my officemate (the smiling lady) would now have her moment to indulge in eating her snack. :D

The Venue

The Venue

Yep! This medical mission took place in an elementary school named after the municipality of San Fernando. It’s an old school really. My late grandmother used to study here when she was very young.

Registration Feeling It!

Registration: Feeling It!

Emotions can get more intense even just by being one of those registration guys. It springs in various ways as follows: 1) the patient’s medical history is emotionally moving; 2) the patient is hard to understand; 3) the patient and the registrar don’t feel the vibe at all, and so on. So what is it in your case, sir? :P

We Care...

We Care…

Our medical missions for the year 2011 adopted the catchphrase “We Care”, and this has been printed at the back of our uniforms/shirts. Despite being simple, it in fact says it all as to what the activities are all about. It’s just that we care, baby. :))

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