My First Week in Candoni

I am currently in Bacolod writing this blog. Last Monday I arrived in Candoni at exactly 11:13 a.m. Yesterday, I left for home at around 3:00 p.m. I am writing this blog as proof that I am still alive and survived my first week in Candoni.

I am beginning to fall in love with the people of Candoni. It has been awhile since they had a permanent doctor in their municipality. They have a visiting doctor based in Kabankalan, Dra. Neirva, and she only comes to Candoni 3x a week. Now, they have me there as someone permanent, always on call 24/7. I am glad that Dra. Nierva is also there. At least in some days I can focus more on the staff and other administrative matters. With me as their MHO, the staff had our first formal meeting yesterday. The agenda was the reporting of all accomplishments per barangay for the year 2007.

I love my staff. They are the friendliest and warmest people. I have actually 2 rural health nurses, 1 nurse microscopist, 1 rural sanitation inspector, 3 volunteer or job-ordered nurses, 1 encoder, 2 health attendants, 1 driver, 9 midwives handling one barangay each, another set of 9 night duty midwives who are running our night emergency clinic and hundreds of barangay health workers.

When I arrived in Candoni, I was introduced to a lot of people, some of whom I have still yet to remember their names. I am staying in the guest house which is actually part of of the tourism office building of the municipality, which is behind the municipal hall. I met the Municipal Treasurer, Mr. Bellicina, who is also a Bacolodnon and a Lasallian and happens to be the second cousin of my mother-in-law. I met of course Ms. Nona who is my RHN-2, Mrs. Manzano my DOH representative, Honorable Tomol, Sanguniaang Bayan Member for Health, of course the rest of my staff, and the rest of the politicians. A small welcoming ceremony was held for me in front of the Rescue Center which temporarily acts as the Municipal health Office. The Main MHO is being renovated and is located near the Barangay health Station of Barangay West, about 5 mins walk from the Municipal Hall. The Mayor is planning to convert it into an Infirmary.

The welcome ceremony was attended by the entire staff of the municipal hall and the health staff of course. After the ceremonies, I met my staff and told them how thankful I was for their warm welcome.

I was happy to know that my 3 volunteer nurses are fresh graduates, some of whom happened to work previously in CLMMRH and have met me during my junior internship. One of them is Lasallian, two are from San Agustin. My encoder and computer technician is from Lasaltech. Immediately I told him my plans to create a database of OPD patients and later establish a computerized system for disease surveillance, something similar with Bago City's CDSS.

I have already encountered many patients and experiences in the past 5 days. My first barangay visit was last Wednesday in Brgy. Payawan during the EPI. My first call was when they asked me to suture the vaginal lacerations of a postpartum patient who just gave birth at the Center. Our MHO actually has an emergency room and a delivery room. At the back is a makeshift laboratory specific only for sputum smearing and staining.

I am enjoying so far my stay in Candoni. I don't have a TV set or radio in my room and sleeping time starts as early as 8 pm for most people. There isn't much form of entertainment but the place does not run out of venues to eat. Carinderias are everywhere and tinolang manok is the highlight. In fact, I was planning to bring a bisaya nga manok yesterday but I had to carry a heavy luggage back with me and a pile of bananas given to me by a midwife from Barangay Gatuslao so I had to abandon the chicken.

My second week in Candoni will be packed. I have a dental mission in a far-flung Barangay, a meeting with the Interlocal Health zone in Kabankalan and a Blood-letting activity.

Wish me luck guys.