Dagupan launches ‘Ubo’ Patrol in all barangays
BALON DAGUPAN NEWS
THE city government launched “Ubo Patrol” in Barangay Malued on August 21by providing free medical check-ups, free x-rays and free medicines to children and adults especially to residents with lung ailments or respiratory diseases.
Ubo Patrol is a project of the City Health Office in partnership with the Philippine Tuberculosis Society in observance of the National Lung Month.
Mayor Belen T. Fernandez (2nd from left), along with doctors and staff of the City Health Office headed by Dr. Ophelia T. Rivera lead the launching of Ubo Patrol in partnership with the Philippine Tuberculosis Society headed by Dr. Jennifer Wi. (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)
With its theme “Healthy Lungs, Healthy Community”, Ubo Patrol aims to provide free early treatment for pneumonia, other lung and respiratory diseases including tuberculosis in the 31 villages of the city.
City Health Officer Dr. Ophelia Rivera said the city’s Ubo Patrollers, who include nurses and health volunteers, go to the barangays to identify and detect TB cases for early diagnosis and prompt treatment; intensify case detection among identified vulnerable groups like children, urban poor, inmates and with HIV/DM; and offer TB diagnostic services to people with presumptive TB through the deployment of mobile chest x-ray.
Mayor Belen Fernandez is encouraging residents to have themselves checked by the Ubo Patrollers and avail of the free x-ray and free medicines.
She also sought the help of the villagers to help identify residents who have been coughing severely for over a month as they could already be suffering from tuberculosis, which is one of the top ten causes of deaths worldwide.
The CHO also operates a text hotline (09074033333) for people with productive cough of at least two weeks.
“It is important though that the patient has to complete the treatment and comply with treatment protocols and avoid the complications of not completing the treatment,” said Rivera.
“Soon we will be opening our diagnostic center and lying-in clinic at the City Health Office to serve our people especially the indigents,” said Fernandez.
The Balon Dagupan Maternal Clinic and Diagnostic Center is a health facility funded jointly by the Department of Health and the city government. Once completed, the facility will provide free x-ray, ultra-sound, ECG and free natal delivery to the city’s indigents. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO)
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