City inmates avail of health, dental check-up

CEBU, Philippines - More or less 500 inmates of the Cebu City Jail’s dormitory for men availed of the medical, dental, and optical mission held yesterday by the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) International Philippines, Inc.

The whole day mission was part of the P500 million worth of services that the organization has so far offered nationwide.

The inmates were given health and dental check-up as well as free medicines and reading eyeglasses by the organization’s doctors, nurses, and dentists.

Dani Carlo Pangatungan, APO spokesperson, said their sponsors for the mission are their fraternity brothers and sisters based abroad

Pangatungan disclosed that aside from having at least three fraternity brothers detained at the jail, they also want to extend to the inmates the services that they provided to other people.

Two years ago, they provided legal assistance to the inmates of the same city jail and provided other forms of assistance years before that.

Just this year, they have conducted medical and dental mission in Calatrava, Negros Occidental, “Operation Tuli” and dental mission in Barangay Bulacao, Talisay City, and other such activities in Guadalupe, Cebu City, and in Opao, Mandaue City.

Superintendent Ma. Victoria Jimenez, the jail warden, said they welcome service providers like APO, admitting that they do not have enough funds to address all the problems of the inmates.

About 80 percent of the 2,032 inmates are imprisoned for illegal drug cases, she said. They also have at least 17 patients suffering from tuberculosis and 25 inmates with psychological problems.

Jimenez said they also have service providers from the academe, religious groups, private sectors and legal organizations.

About 80 to 100 inmates out of the 189 inmates of the City Jail’s Female Dormitory also availed of the optical check up and were also given free reading eyeglasses yesterday.

The dormitory’s jail warden, Supt. Corazon Noel, said the Perpetual Soccour Hospital has recently conducted medical and dental mission at their dormitory.

The APO organization did the mission to pursue their goal: “To build a new tomorrow, far from this old wrecked land of woe. Build it high, build it strong, build it with cheerful services. Build it with strong men and women of Alpha Phi Omega.” – (FREEMAN)