Investigative Documentaries: Kakulangan ng health centers, problema sa Lasala, Siargao

Summary

The script narrates the emotional struggle of a mother, Silvia, as she cares for her child who is suffering from a severe headache and fever, making it impossible for the child to attend school. Despite the challenges of accessing healthcare and medicine in their remote barangay, Silvia remains determined to help her child recover. She describes the difficulty of obtaining medication and the lack of public transportation or sufficient health services in their community. Silvia's journey highlights the broader issue of healthcare accessibility in rural areas, emphasizing the need for better support and resources.

Takeaways

• 😷 A child is feeling sick and suffering from a headache, which prevents them from attending school for two consecutive days.
• 👩‍🏫 The child’s teacher expresses concern, and the mother is determined to find medicine, no matter how far, to help the child recover and return to school.
• 💊 The mother massages the child’s head, trying to relieve the pain, and both the mother and child cry due to the severity of the illness.
• 😴 The mother did not sleep the previous night because the child kept crying in pain, even after taking medicine.
• 🚤 It's difficult to reach the barangay health center due to the lack of public transportation and boats available for rent in the area.
• 🏥 The nearest hospital in Del Carmen is an hour away, complicating access to necessary medical care.
• 🩺 There are distribution problems of medicine in rural areas, especially coastal barangays, and the local health center has limited medical supplies.
• 💧 Despite government efforts, the local elementary school lacks a proper water supply, a necessity for maintaining school operations.
• 📉 The barangay health center only has six paracetamol tablets for children, and the last medicine supply arrived in November of the previous year.
• 🚑 The barangay does not have a boat to transport people in medical emergencies, further hindering access to healthcare services.

Q & A

What is the main health issue mentioned in the script?

The main health issue is a child suffering from a severe headache and fever, which prevents them from attending school.

How does the parent respond to the child’s health problem?

The parent takes care of the child by massaging their head and giving them medicine, despite the difficulty in obtaining medication.

Why is it difficult to access medicine in the barangay (village)?

It is difficult because the barangay health center is short on supplies, and transportation to the nearest hospital or health center is challenging, especially if no public transportation or rented boats are available.

How does the lack of transportation affect the residents' ability to access healthcare?

Residents face difficulty accessing healthcare because they rely on rented boats or public transportation, which is not always available, making it hard to reach distant health centers or hospitals.

What is the state of the health center’s medicine supply in the barangay?

The health center has very limited medicine, with only six paracetamol tablets available for children, and their last supply arrived in November of the previous year.

What challenges are faced by the barangay health center in maintaining their medicine supply?

The barangay health center faces challenges due to inconsistent distribution and a lack of regular medicine supply from the rural health unit (RHU).

What is the annual budget for the Del Carmen health unit, and how does this impact healthcare access?

The annual budget for the Del Carmen health unit was 400,000 pesos in 2014. However, there is no available data for 2015 and 2016, which likely impacts their ability to maintain adequate healthcare services.

What role does the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) play in providing essential services to the barangay?

The DILG provided a water supply system to the barangay in 2015, but there are still ongoing issues with water availability and maintenance at the school and health center.

How does the shortage of clean water affect the local community?

The shortage of clean water forces residents to rely on rainwater for their needs, and the school and health center struggle to maintain proper sanitation and operations due to the lack of water.

What is the emotional impact of the child's illness on the parent, as described in the script?

The parent feels emotionally distressed, crying alongside the child due to the severe headache, lack of sleep, and helplessness in alleviating the child's pain.