What's Keeping Candoni Busy?

Busy, busy, busy. Keep busy.
That's the motto of the RHU of Candoni the past few weeks. Other than planning for our Nutrition Month Activities for July, (we will be holding a well-baby contest next Friday), there have been many projects that kept us busy the past few weeks. One of those projects is the application of all 9 barangays for the Botika ng Barangay. When I first arrived in Candoni in December, the first thing that I noticed was the lack of accredited pharmacy. Most of my patients would travel to Kabankalan (a good 40 kilometers away from Candoni) just to buy the needed medications. I immediately gathered the barangay captains, their kagawads for health and their barangay midwives and proposed to them the old concept of the Botika ng Barangay. There used to be many Botikas ng Barangay here and in fact there is one existing Botika but only in the Poblacion area. The barangay captains were reluctant to apply for a BnB license because they are afraid it might not prosper. Nevertheless, I tried to emphasize the need for cheaper drugs, especially for patients who are residing in far-flung barangays and who could not even afford to spend a few pesos for transportation to the Poblacion area.

After a few months of coaxing, all 9 barangays submitted their resolutions stating their desire and intent to put up a botika in their barangay. By the end of June, we held our training for BnB operators. A week after submitting our application requirements, the CHD informed us that all 9 barangays, including 1 NGO, were approved for BnB operation. For the first time in Candoni's history, all of its 9 barangays have one licensed pharmacy offering cheap generic drugs.

I was happy of course. Having a botika ng barangay, especially in hard-to-reach areas is very beneficial to the people. The main concern now is to sustain these Botikas. I am already designing a scheme that would ensure the sustainability of the Botika. CHD informed us that their medicines are already available ready for pick up.

Another endeavor of great attention is the renovation of our RHU into an infirmary. A few weeks ago, I visited the place together with Municipal Engineer Ruiz and PHN Jonah Malunes. We went through the construction site, discussing suggestions and changes in the floor plan. According to Eng'r Ruiz, the infirmary will be fully operational by the end of August.

A lot of things are happening in Candoni's RHU. Of course we have just launched our CHART and next month, I am planning to conduct another workshop for first aiding, this time among students. Next week, I will be training the medical staff on their Basic Cardiac Life support. Of course, the PIR for the entire province is scheduled on August 5-6 and I was told it was going to be an overnight affair in Mambucal resort.

Well, sometimes we do need a little rest and recreation.