WHO set to benchmark ‘Alagang Balon Dagupan’
HONG KONG—The World Health Organization (WHO) is set to benchmark the “Alagang Balon Dagupan for the Elderly,” a landmark program of Dagupan City government, for adoption by developing countries for their elder population.
Fernandez described the program when she made a 15-minute presentation before delegates from various parts of the world who attended the 6th Global Conference of the Alliance of Healthy Cities sponsored by WHO on Oct. 30 at Crowne Plaza in Hong Kong.
The mayor said Dagupan City’s socio-economic development and epidemiology is still in transition adding that its ageing population, as in other areas, suffers from the double burden of degenerative and communicable diseases.
“While we are generally successful in providing health benefits to the elderly, as evidenced by longer life expectancy among those in said age group, we realize that this lone result cannot fully account for their overall well-being. In measuring our accomplishment in elderly care, we have taken into consideration their quality of life, function, autonomy, self-esteem, and life satisfaction,” Fernandez said.
She told her audience that her administration has focused its efforts in fighting heart and vascular diseases and while promoting a maintaining a healthy lifestyle and living condition for everyone, especially for older persons,”
She said the city ‘s program takes off from this fact and “advances towards promotive, preventive, curative, and supportive care for senior citizens”.
“Alagang Balon Dagupan for the Elderly,” she said, seeks to develop and implement a minimum health package for older persons, pre-financed from local and national funding sources to build and improve a barangay- and institution-based registry for various illnesses and diseases; to enhance leisure time and recreational activities of the elderly; and promote and improve the quality of life of the elderly population through increased productivity and improved health.
The minimum health package for the city’s senior citizens includes a bimonthly medical mission exclusively for the elderly called “Panangaro kinen Bai tan Laki” (Love for our grandfather and grandmother), which addresses the medical needs of older persons through regular checkups, provision of flu and pneumonia shots, blood tests for blood sugar and uric acid measurement, and clinical chemistry for cholesterol and triglycerides determination.
Senior citizens can also avail outpatient health services from the City Health Office, which is open every day, barangay clinics, and during our regular barangay medical missions.
The Philippine Health Insurance or PhilHealth cards were given free to senior citizens, particularly to those considered indigent.
The “Panangaro kinen Bai tan Laki” also includes a milk feeding project to ensure the health of the elderly with the support of private companies like Abbott Philippines.
She also discussed the high vulnerability of senior citizens during natural disasters. “It is crucial that everyone, especially the elderly, is trained to properly respond during times of calamities,” the mayor said.
For this purpose, a Family Disaster Preparedness Seminars for senior citizens is held by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to equip them with necessary survival skills for any disaster, Fernandez said.
She cited the city’s partnership with doctors from the University of Santo Tomas Hospital and the Inner Wheel Club of Dagupan City that has benefitted 100 senior cataract patients.
Other programs include provision for elderlies’ wheelchairs and The “Sight-Saving Project,” another health care benefit that not only provides free reading glasses but provides free cataract surgery for the elderly citizen to help them regain their normal eyesight; “Lolo/Lola Basyang,” an activity to help preserve the cognitive skills of the elderly; holding of Literacy program that provides free lessons for the elderly cannot read nor write; free movie passes for the elderly every Tuesday; and, establishment of Senior Citizens Recreational Center.
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