Lanao IPHO acquires new dental buses
Marawi City, Lanao del Sur
The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) of Lanao del Sur has acquired two brand new Dental Health Buses to augment its facilities in serving the populace especially those from the remote and hard to reach areas.
He said IPHO will coordinate with the local executives to maximize the use of the dental facilities.
IPHO Chief Dr. Alinader D. Minalang said IPHO is intensifying its health care services delivery despite the challenges and limitations in terms of resources.
He said maternal and infant mortality rates have dramatically reduced. He said through the Human Resource Deployment Program (HRDP), the IPHO has improved its delivery of services. He said at present the IPHO has seven (7) doctors to the barrios, over 300 nurses and over 100 midwives and public health associates as he thanked ARMM Regional Governor Mujiv S Hataman for his continued support and trust.
He said IPHO implements 44 health programs, which include TB control programs, Dengue Control Programs and Family Control Programs.
He said the Rural Health Units are mandated to provide basic services and special projects such as immunization for children and clinical check-up for mothers, delivery and TB cases, diagnostic services for hypertension and diabetes.
Minalang said medicines are now available at the RHUs like compact medicines from the DOH-Central Office, adding that health workers have the commitment to operate on a 24/7 basis to serve the health care needs of the people.
He also said that dengue cases have increased as compared to last year. Last July alone, 128 cases of dengue had been reported. He said from January to August, this year, 408 dengue cases had been reported.
He said we are fortunate that no fatality had been reported. “No one died in the dengue cases,” he said, “because the environmental sanitation program had been implemented to check the spread of the disease.”
The IPHO chief urged the people to observe sanitation by making water always available, using sanitary toilets, proper disposal of garbage and campaigning to the community members the strict observance of environmental sanitation, thus improving sanitary conditions in the community.
He said the rural sanitary inspectors, despite deficiency are doing their share of the obligation on sanitation.
Minalang added that outreach program will also be implemented. He said health workers teams will be organized to bring health care services to the remote areas.
IPHO Chief Minalang said that the IPHO is also concerned with the first 1,000 days of the child after delivery. He said the period is critical in the physical and emotional development of the child needing close watch and attention. He said the IPHO provides services from the conception of the child to the child’s delivery. He said clinical check-up and nutrition of the mother is considered.
He also said the IPHO avails of the services of the World Food Program (WFP) as its partner in its nutrition program.
IPHO Chief Minalang said that IPHO is strengthening is advocacy on its nutrition program to prevent malnutrition among children.
(With report from Phil Pa-alan)
