LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – I Love Pangasinan Kalusugan Karavan (ILPKK) began its 2017 rounds by staging its community service in three barangays per week.
For its initial offering this year, ILPKK led by Provincial First Lady Karina P. Espino went to barangay San Libo in Bayambang recently, thus completing the mobile health caravan’s visit to the local government units within the third congressional district.
Mrs. Espino said that the mobile health caravan dubbed as “Pangkalusugang serbisyo na Organisado ng Gobyerno handog sa Inyo” is one of Governor Amado “Pogi” I. Espino’s way of expresing his love for his provincemates.
The mobile health clinic served Brgy. Babasit in Manaoag last Jan. 11, which marks the caravan’s reaching the fourth congressional district towns.
From then, ILPKK finished its rounds in the district: barangay Ambalangan Dalin in San Fabian last Jan. 12; barangay Gueguesangen in Mangaldan last Jan. 17, barangay Lobong in San Jacinto last Jan. 18.
On Jan. 19, the caravan returned to the first congressional district in barangay San Juan in Agno, its 22nd destination since it started last year.
The health caravan aims to visit every village in the province to deliver basic quality healthcare services to every Pangasinense.
In an earlier statement, Provincial Health Officer Anna Ma. Teresa de Guzman said that the governor has decided to hold the caravan from once-a-week to twice-a-week and now to thrice-a-week activity due to the enthusiastic reception and growing participation of village folks.
The provincial first lady spearheads the supplemental feeding program, as well as the distribution of school supplies and slippers for grade-schoolers and special blankets for the elderly, and hygiene kits for expectant mothers from the Department of Health.
Medical consultation, pediatric checkup, tooth extraction and filling, sputum test, chest x-ray, flu immunization, blood laboratory, anti-rabies vaccination and pharmacy-on-the-go services are made available to village folks.
Also conducted are maternal and pre-natal health care, potable water and anti-dengue information and dissemination campaigns.
De Guzman bared that the provincial government is set to purchase two customized Diagnostic Mobile Buses equipped with Ultrasound machines, modern x-ray and other state-of-the-art details that would enable performance of a minor surgery on board.
By Dexter A. See