UNFORGETTABLE DOH BUS JOURNEY
MANILA, OCTOBER 8, 2011
(STAR) By Susan Claire Agbayani - It
was his first plane ride. But all that Dominador Lomibao, 52, could think of was
"Where's the bus?"
The bus is the Department of Health's (DOH) mobile vehicle called Lakbay
Buhay Kalusugan (LBK). And Mang Domeng is its official driver.
The LBK bus was transported to Pier 15 of Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
after its Luzon leg. Mang Domeng would pick it up and drive all the way to Sagay
City where nearly 2,000 residents were expected to benefit from a two-day
caravan of health information and services.
LBK is DOH's way of delivering critical health information to remote
communities. Aligned with the Aquino Health Agenda of Universal Health Access
for all Filipinos, the LBK uses a fiesta setting to inform mothers and fathers
about safe motherhood, child health care and nutrition, birth spacing, and
healthy lifestyle.
The LBK bus is just one of the attractions of the health fiesta. It was
customized to be a consultation clinic for pregnant women and their children.
Mang Domeng is a retired employee of Victory Liner. When the company donated
one of its buses to DOH, it highly recommended Mang Domeng to the crucial post
of LBK driver. Mang Domeng would soon discover why he would become not just any
bus driver.
The bus is a health fiesta on wheels.
"Dati, nagdra-drive ako papunta't-pabalik ng Pangasinan o Baguio, at meron
akong konduktor o stewardess. Pero dito sa LBK, ako rin nagtatatak sa mga ID ng
mga buntis kapag tapos na silang magpatingin sa mga duktora (I used to drive to
and from Pangasinan and Baguio with a conductor or stewardess. But here in LBK,
I stamp the IDs of the pregnant women once they're done with their consultations
with the doctors)," Mang Domeng says.
From Sagay City, Mang Domeng had driven the LBK bus to Bohol, Bukidnon, and
Compostela Valley. Since its maiden trip in Tarlac in March, the LBK has
delivered critical health information to over 15,000 people from poor
communities.
"Living a healthy life is a journey," says Health Secretary Enrique Ona.
"This is what LBK symbolizes. And in this journey, we are not mere passengers
but drivers of our own health and nutrition."
LBK is an innovative platform in the delivery of health messages and services
to communities utilizing fun and current-day approaches in ways that people
enjoy and are familiar with. In every stop, there are interactive exhibits,
mini-classes, and fun activities such as read-alongs for children, videoke
singing, games and variety shows.
LBK encourages expectant mothers to have regular pre-natal checkups, families
to bring their children to the doctor for complete immunization, and couples to
seek information and counseling on family planning and healthy lifestyle.
Fun activities during the health caravan include read-alongs for
kids.
During the LBK events, Mang Domeng would get the chance to speak to mothers
and make them comfortable as they wait for their turn to receive a pre-natal or
post-partum check-up.
"It was my first time to see a bus with two rooms for check-ups and two rooms
for consultations for pregnant women," gushes Evangeline Buenavidez, 32, from
Sagay City. "I am happy that I was able to attend and listen to many lectures on
how to keep a good, healthy body. I went home happy since I learned a lot."
Learning in an atmosphere of fun is not how health workers like Luz Mahinay,
36, usually do health education. Luz was one of the barangay health workers who
acted as a tour guide for the clients. A tour around LBK includes a check-up at
the bus, a walk through an interactive health exhibit, and sitting through short
lectures on maternal and child health and nutrition. The tour is capped off with
a variety show where participants sing and dance and get queried on key health
messages they picked up during the tour.
"Kapoy (tired) but happy," Luz remarks at the end of the day.
Dr. Irma Asuncion, director of the National Center for Health Promotion
(NCHP), the communication arm of the DOH, says: "DOH believes that good health
should be celebrated. If we are healthy, we are happy. Through LBK we are
reminded that we are responsible for our own health. Na walang iwanan sa
biyaheng kalusugan (No one should be left behind in the journey to good
health)."
Interactive educational exhibits and seminars.
DOH designed LBK to get people thinking about their health and nutrition.
After the LBK bus rolls out, the real work for both families and health service
providers begins.
Just a month after LBK in Sagay City, midwife Bernaditha Tan has already seen
a spike in the number of women coming for their pre-natal check up. "My clients
are now voluntarily going to the health center."
This is why the Sagay City Health Office is planning to replicate the LBK
experience.
"Information dissemination through a health fiesta effectively reaches out to
our clients. We are currently working out a local version of LBK to deliver the
same set of health messages and formats in our other barangays," says Dr.
Sharlene Sy, municipal health officer.
In South Cotabato, Governor Arthur Pingoy Jr. has committed one of the
province's buses to be customized as an LBK bus. The LBK caravan will arrive on
Oct. 6 in the town of T'boli.
Mang Domeng looks forward to other trips of LBK this year. Aside from South
Cotabato, LBK will also be hosted in Maguindanao and Zamboanga del Norte.
"Iba-iba bawa't biyahe pero pare-parehong nagiging successful sa
pagtutulungan at pagsasama ng lahat (Each trip is different but becomes equally
successful because of everybody's cooperation and partnership.)"
"Public-private partnerships are essential to universal health care," says
Secretary Ona.
LBK is a model of public-private partnerships that are forged for health
promotion, communication and education. It is made possible by a partnership
among DOH, the local government units, US Agency for International Development,
and private partners such as the Doña Marta T. Hernandez Foundation of Victory
Liner, Melawares, Air21, OMF Literature, Dakila Philippine Collective for Modern
Heroism, Manila Broadcasting Company, UNTV, Center for Community Journalism and
Development, Philippine Press Institute, the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and
Advocates International, Inc.
For Mang Domeng, LBK has been quite a ride. And it's one journey
that he hopes never ends.
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
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