BAGUIO CITY
The elderly community of Baguio City benefited from the free medical services offered on Oct. 4, 2024 at the Baguio Athletic Bowl. The Health Fair is part of the celebration of the Elderly Filipino Week to promote healthy aging and to address common health concerns among the senior citizens. Spearheaded by the City Government through the City
Health Services Office (CHSO), Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs, and the City Social Welfare and Development
Office together with the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC), Baguio General Hospital and Medical
Center (BGHMC), and the Department of Health-Cordillera, the fair provided essential health services tailored to the needs of the elderly.
Senior citizens accessed various free medical services including eye and ear examinations, geriatric screenings and blood uric acid and sugar screenings, dental care, nutrition assessment and counseling as well as wellness services such as massage therapy, ventosa, haircuts, PhilHealth Konsulta Registration, and NCSC online database registration. “We provide ‘yung ating mga screening examinations kasi gusto natin, ‘yung mga clients natin, kahit wala silang sakit, nagpapa-test sila para malaman natin in advance kung ano ‘yung mga posibleng kondisyon at maagapan natin,” Dr. Mark-Lawrence Tirao of the CHSO said.
A 10-minute geriatric screening assessed various aspects of elderly health, such as fall risk, hearing loss, and visual impairment. Dr. Geohna Perez-Gizon, a geriatrician at the BGHMC, stressed the importance of addressing prevalent conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, dementia, and osteoporosis. She emphasized the concept of “Matter Most”, explaining that healthy aging involves focusing on what is most important to each individual. “You work on something that matters most to you. ‘Yun po ang talagang healthy aging.
For example, if your family matters most to you, then make it a point to stay with them for the longest possible time. If it’s your functional capacity that matters to you, you should focus on activities that would improve your functional capacity. If it’s your social skills that would matter most to you, What matters most to you? ‘Yun ang tunay na healthy aging. Quality of life,” she stated. Beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the organizers for providing multiple health services which they were able to access without worrying about fees. “Napakahalaga nito lalo na sa amin na walang pera,” Nora Lachica expressed.
(JDP/DEG/Fatima Gilledo, PIA CAR- PHINMA UPang Intern)
October 12, 2024
November 1, 2024
November 1, 2024
November 1, 2024
November 1, 2024
November 1, 2024