Medical mission attends to 909 in North Poblacion
Volunteer employees of TCPI (left) and SEDC (right) join North Poblacion barangay officials after the medical mission.
SAN FERNANDO, Cebu (March 12, 2016) — Six volunteer physicians and three dentists attended to 909 residents in North Poblacion in this town as two companies the town hosts brought back today their medical mission for the third time since eight years ago.
Barangay captain Alfonso Donaire IV led village officials and rural health workers in assisting the mission, along with teachers from San Fernando North Central Elementary School under principal Joey Umbal who hosted the activity.
Takashi Miyashita and Kazuhiko Ichizawa, senior vice presidents (SVP) of Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Inc. (TCPI) joined the employees and those of Solid Earth Development Corp. (SEDC) who volunteered for the mission.
TCPI physician Dr. Ildebrando Estella spearheaded the doctors who include Dr. Debra Maria Catulong, Dr. Galileo C. Velasquez, Dr. Norma Infantado, Dr. Celso Pacan, Dr. Armindo N. Ceniza, Jr., and Dr. Easter Lette Estella.
They attended to cases of arthritis, gastric hyperacidity, hypertension, myalgia (body pain), and common cough and colds among 792 patients, said Mitzie Almira I. Carin, SEDC deputy division manager for human resources and administration.
Volunteer optometrists from EyeTune Optical found 88 patients with refraction errors and gave each free spectacles, added Carin, who also manages the joint Social Development Management Program (SDMP) of TCPI and SEDC.
20,009
Dentist-on-retainer Dr. Pearl Angeli Cabauatan with fellow dentists Dr. Phil Raymond V. Oacan and Dr. Mechell V. Torres also took care of the 29 patients whose decayed teeth needed to be extracted.
Most of the children had dental carries, as others were noted with skin wounds and common cough and colds, disclosed Vanessa N. Bongcawil, administration supervisor of the TCPI Community Development Office.
The joint TCPI-SEDC mission series first served North Poblacion, then among 12 impact barangays, in May 2008 with 568 patients, then in October 2011 with 828 patients, noted Bongcawil.
The mission that has already attended to 20,009 to date has been expanded to now include a 13th impact barangay, Tubod, which has been lined up in the third round that the program has been realized.
It had earned the commendation of the Cebu Provincial Government for providing townsfolk access to health care, especially for those in the hinterlands whose residents hardly find access to services at public hospitals.
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