By Emmanuel Solis/PNA
LEGAZPI CITY — The City Health Office (CHO) has been named by the Department of Health (DOH)-Bicol as the best implementer of the agency’s blood services program in the entire region.
City Health Officer Dr. Fulbert Gillego, in an interview on Monday, relayed receiving the Regional Sandugo Award from DOH Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Director Ernie Vega last December 7 at the Legazpi City Convention Center.
The recognition was based on the blood-letting activities conducted by the CHO with the participation of barangays as well as fraternities and other stakeholders who donated blood as one way of promoting voluntary blood donation and to help ensure adequate supply of safe blood for transfusion.
The Sandugo award is part of the commitment of the city administration including all the barangay officials toward the successful implementation of DOH’s National Voluntary Blood Services Program (NVBSP) that aims to ensure an adequate, sustainable supply of safe blood for blood transfusion purposes.
Gillego noted that his office collected 2,366 bags of blood from January to November 2017 which is higher than DOH’s requirement of at least one percent of the total population. Legazpi’s population is about 202,902, one percent of which is 2,029, he added.
Gillego thanked the donors as well as the academe, fraternities, barangay leaders, the youth and other stakeholders who supported the implementation of the blood-letting program of Legazpi.
Those patients who want to avail of safe blood should simply present to the CHO a letter from a doctor in order to know what type of blood they need, he said.
Meanwhile, on that same awarding ceremony, the DOH also chose Legazpi City as third placer for the regional Purple Ribbon award.
The Purple Ribbon is one of the most coveted recognitions being given to the national, regional, provincial as well as local government units including civil society organizations and individuals for their exemplary practices, accomplishments and innovations in response to the implementation of Reproductive Health Law and Family Planning Program and compasses all the services that should be given for women to be safe in their entire lifetime.
Gillego said the award is a clear manifestation of efficient and effective implementation of the city’s Family Planning Program as one way of educating all the mothers regarding proper birth spacing in order for them to give their children good health and quality education as part of reducing the rate of poverty incidence in the community.
He said he will continue to conduct a series of educational campaign, nutrition counseling, maternal health care and other related medical services to make sure both the health of mothers and babies are always in good condition.
