DOH-ARMM country's top performer in anti-measles, anti-polio drive
HEALTH • 18:55 PM Mon Oct 27, 2014
1,469
By:
Edwin Fernandez
DOH-ARMM Regional Sec. Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr, reports the successful anti-measles, anti-polio, drive in ARMM
The Department
of Health in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DOH-ARMM) was named best
performer of the DOH-Manila in the anti-measles and anti-polio mass vaccination
campaign, a health official said.
Dr. Kadil
Sinolinding, Jr, DOH-ARMM regional secretary, said that four of five provincial
health offices in the ARMM have reached more than 100 percent in the
immunization campaign to protect young children from the spread of
measles-rubella (German Measles) and polio disease.
Sinolinding
said only the province of Sulu failed to reach the target population of
children 59 months and below. It only reached 87 percent of the total children
population.
This was due
to peace and order problem in the area,” he said. One of our ranking health
workers in Sulu was kidnapped sometime last year,” he said.
Because of
that, our health providers in Sulu serving island provinces have the fear they
might be the next victim,” Sinolinding said.
However, he
maintained that despite the risk, barangay health workers and volunteers braved
the high seas and unfavourable weather condition to reach out to our children
in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
Lanao del Sur,
the number one provincial implementor of mass vaccination in the country.
Maguindanao,
Basilan and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Lamitan and Marawi also reached its
targets,” he added.
This is the
accomplishment of our health workers on the ground as well as our volunteers
who braved bad weather, floods and security risk to reach out to our children,”
he said.
Expressing
sympathy to the hardship health providers have to endure, Sinolinding said they
deserved commendation for a job well done.”
As far as
DOH-ARMM is concerned, our health workers are our heroes,” he said.
Sinolinding
admitted that health workers and volunteers in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur
have performed well with the risk of being harmed because of the existing peace
process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
He also lauded the local
government units and local government executives for the support extended to
health providers.