The Department of Health-Oriental/Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan (DOH-Mimaropa), in coordination with the local government of Marinduque, on July 21 launched its “Oplan Kain Sigla” Nourishment Program for preschool children at Torrijos Covered Court in the province of Marinduque.
“Our objective is to provide proper complementary feeding to preschool children aged 6 to 71 months for 90 days and improve their nutritional status from underweight or severely underweight to normal and stunted and sustain this normal nutritional status,” Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo said.
Janairo noted the schoolchildren need approximately 720 to 1410 kilocalorie (Kcal) and is equal to 1,000 calories a day because it is important for kids’ growth and development, enhancement of their learning skills and to provide them energy for play.
The eighth National Nutrition Survey disclosed that preschoolers in Mimaropa recorded the highest underweight prevalence in the country in 2013 (27.9 percent) and the second highest wasting prevalence among the Luzon group of islands (9.8 percent, or one out of 10 preschoolers).
The National Nutrition Council’s 2014 Operation Timbang recorded 9.68 percent, or 10 out of 100 preschoolers were underweight for their age.
Before the start of program, the children’s weight and height will be recorded and they will also be dewormed to ensure that their body will take all the nutrients. They will be given one full meal a day for five days (Monday to Friday) for three months, which includes all the minerals and substances the body needs.
Janairo explained that the Oplan Kain Sigla is an “Eat to Nourish Approach” of DOH-Mimaropa that is focus on direct feeding of identified undernourished children and conducting health and nutrition classes for their parents and caregivers, including green gardens and economical nutritious cooking. “The feeding program will serve as a venue for both the provision of nutrients for children and, at the same time delivery of knowledge on health and nutrition to their mothers.”
At least 250 children were selected by the provincial health and validated by the regional office. The municipality of Torrijos in Marinduque is one of the identified areas where high prevalence of under nutrition was recorded based on the 2015 OPT plus (Operation Timbang plus Health).
Other municipalities were Bongabong in Oriental Mindoro; Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro; San Andres in Romblon; and Sofronio Espanola in Palawan.
The nourishment program will be closely monitored by the local health officials and will be evaluated after the three-month period.
Janairo added that the nourishment program is supportive of Health Secretary Janet Garin’s High Impact Five Program as it targets preschool children, thereby strengthening and improving their nutritional status.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday the DOH-Mimaropa turned over 1.5 million worth of assorted supply of medicines as investment capital for the Damian Reyes Provincial Hospital in Boac, Marinduque.
The medicines were part of the “coaching and mentoring” project-development program for the provincial hospital where it was placed under the management and supervision of the DOH regional office as requested by Gov. Carmencita O. Reyes.
“Under the program, DOH-Mimaropa will have a bigger responsibility in the administration of the hospital by deploying our technical staff in the province to provide the necessary improvements in the organization and development of the hospital in order to bring the investment back to the province,” Janairo explained.
“The hospital’s support, technical and medical group will be trained and they will undergo skills-enhancement program to keep them up to date,” he assured.
The medicines were received by Reyes whxo acknowledged the importance of the donation affirming that this is the first time ever that the province have received large amount of medicines from the health department. “With these medicines in place, our patients can now avail themselves of affordable, quality and proper medications for treatment”.
Janairo maintains that under the program, the medicines will be given in kind and to be used as the hospital’s capital investment that will provide funds to the hospital. It is then expected to return as profit through the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. payments from patients.
“Once the system is sustainable, we can even provide more medicines to the province, which can be distributed and used by the two other health facilities which is the Sta. Cruz District Hospital and the Torrijos Municipal Hospital and eventually even the RHUs will be included in the investment title,” Janairo concluded.