Advocating For The Children

This morning, the ECCD team of the municipality went to Brgy. Gatuslao, a far-flung barangay of the municipality of Candoni, to conduct advocacy classes regarding early childhood care and development (ECCD). Participants of the ECCD advocacy class were purok presidents of various puroks and sitios of the barangay, including the barangay officials. Members of the ECCD team include the MSWD, DILG, MNAO and other department heads of the municipality. During my time to speak, I shared to them the many programs of the government which address the various health concerns of both the children and the parents particularly the mother. "But, these programs will not be successful if the community will not support them," I told them. I told them that the local government is doing its best to bring the programs closer to the front lines. It is up to the community to embrace it as their own and support it.

My analogy was, "Daw parehus man na bala sang lamesa nga puno sang pagkaon. Nagluto damo damo sang pagkaon ang gobyerno para sa inyo. Inyo na na kung gusto nyo magpalapit kag magkuha sang pagkaon. Kung indi kamo magpalapit, teh indi gid kamo ka kaon."

After the ECCD class, one of the barangay kagawads told me of a young child who has been bedridden for more than 2 years already. I was initially told that the young child could no longer stand up on his own. I was curious about the case so I asked for the address of the kid. Before we headed back to the Poblacion, we dropped by the kid's house.

I was told by the driver that the kid was the son of the guy I necropsied a few months back, a victim of multiple hacking. The children are now orphans and are being taken cared of by their paternal grandfather. I arrived in the place where the kids were living together with my nurses and Councilor Tomol.

I was able to examine the kid. His lower extremities were relatively strong, with a 4/5 motor strength and intact sensation. His upper extremities however were weak, with only 1/5 motor strength and with decreased sensation. I also noticed a deformity on his left shoulder. His older sister told me that he once fell on his left shoulder a few years back and was brought to the hospital but they were unable to have his Xrays done due to lack of money. Since then, he started feeling pain and discomfort on his left shoulder and left arm. Then his left arm started getting weak, until his right arm became weak as well.

I have brought the case already to the MSWD and by next week, we will come back to the child to provide assistance. We would need to do some X-rays first in order to confirm a clavicular fracture. The child may need some further evaluation as well and may need some rehabilitation to regain his strength.