Damayan treats Quezon City school kids

MANILA, Philippines - Grade 1 student Henry admits that he is always out of breath when he does strenuous activities.

Unknown to him and most probably his parents, he suffers from rheumatic heart disease resulting from repeated tonsillitis that had not been treated properly with antibiotics. Because of this, his heart seems to have been damaged.

Henry, 7, was among the 2,000 students, teachers and non-teaching personnel at the Betty Go-Belmonte Elementary School in Bayani St., Barangay Doña Imelda in Quezon City who benefited from a medical-dental mission organized by The STAR Group of Publications last week. The mission is in line with the 25th anniversary of The Philippine STAR on July 28. Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, who graced the event, urged the students to pick up the habit of reading to develop their minds. She also told them to be thankful for the blessings they receive and learn to share them.

Henry’s abnormal heart condition was observed when cardiologist Dr. Willie Ong, the company physician and a STAR columnist, examined him.                                               

“He said that he usually experiences difficulty in breathing when he goes up and down the stairs,” he said.

Ong also noticed that he had loud heart murmur, indicating some disorders in his heart.                                         

“He has to undergo 2D-Echo (two-dimensional echocardiogram) and other examinations to know the extent of his illness. His parents and teachers should also know because he might have to avoid doing strenuous activities,” he said.

Aside from Henry, another student in the school seemed to have a heart problem while one was observed to be suffering from yellowing of the skin, also known as jaundice, indicating liver disorder.

School principal Thelma Villamor said majority of their students come from low-income families so they do not pay much attention to their medical and dental needs.

“They just cannot afford to see a doctor,” she said.

Villamor said many of the students are undernourished, if not malnourished. Dental carries is also a primary concern because it is the leading cause of the students’ absenteeism.

During the mission, students as young as six years old with written consent from their parents took advantage of the free tooth extraction. Pauline Blacano, 6, a grade one student, showed no fear when she had a tooth extracted. She, in fact, was one of the first students to line up for tooth extraction.

The girl said her tooth had been giving her pain but going to a dental clinic is expensive. Volunteer-dentist Dr. Merlino Mateo, dental director of the Pasay Filipino Chinese Charity Health Center Inc. (PFCCHCI), said dental carries is the most common ailment among students in public school.

Because of poverty, the students could not see their dentists regularly. They also do not practice personal hygiene like regular brushing their teeth. There were also OB-gynecologists who assisted teachers in their reproductive needs. Mona Fe Barrozo, 32, a health and science teacher, sought advice on getting pregnant again. 

“The last time I gave birth was in 2004. My husband and I want to have another child so I asked the doctor what we should do. According to the doctor, I should undergo a pap smear,” she added.

Teacher Louelle Padillo, 41, on the other hand, consulted on the use of birth control pills to prevent pregnancy.

“We already have three children and they are enough for us. I used to take pills but I stopped five years ago. I asked the doctor if it is safe for me to take it again,” Padillo said.

The volunteer doctors and dentists came from the DepEd-Pasay City Division, PFCCHCI, Philippine General Hospital, St. Luke’s Medical Center’s Sagip Bayan Foundation Inc., Manila Doctor’s Hospital-Metrobank Foundation, Ospital ng Makati and Hospital of the Infant Jesus.                      

Aside from the free services, Damayan provided the students with pouches, pencil cases, toothbrushes, toothpaste, multi-vitamins, paracetamol and deworming drugs while teachers received pouches and t-shirts. Damayan had also donated two air-conditioning units and office supplies to the school.