Related to the issue of the implementation of the government’s anti-dengue vaccination program, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is now assisting in efforts to identify children under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) who were inoculated with the Dengvaxia vaccine.
Earlier in February, the Department of Education (DepEd) requested assistance from the Pantawid National Program Management Office (NPMO) to help determine the grade school children in Regions III, VII, CALABARZON and the National Capital Region (NCR) who received the vaccine.
The Pantawid NPMO is also utilizing Family Development Sessions (FDS) to educate parents on precautionary measures against dengue infection and on what to do in case their children fall ill.
“We tell them to immediately seek medical help from hospitals and health centers,” DSWD Officer-in-Charge Emmanuel Leyco said.
“The DSWD will fully assist in efforts to help children and families who may be affected by this medical concern,” he added.
He also assured the public that the DSWD will continue to cooperate with concerned national government agencies to address the issue.
“We also call for strengthened efforts in the barangay and municipal levels to prevent the proliferation of dengue-carrying mosquitoes in our communities which pose great threats to the health of Filipino children,” he added.
In the meantime, the social welfare chief said that the DSWD will provide medical assistance to indigent families, whether or not their children received the Dengvaxia vaccine, through the Department’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
Those who want to avail must present the following requirements to any DSWD Field Office:
- Clinical Abstract/Medical Certificate with signature and license number of the attending physician (issued not later than 3 months);
- Hospital Bill (for payment of hospital bill) or Prescription (for medicines) or Laboratory requests (for procedures);
- Barangay Certificate of Residency/Indigency and any valid ID of the client; and/or
- Referral letter
Likewise, DSWD implements the Lingap para sa Masa which provides free medicines to indigent families who are admitted to the participating hospitals. These are The University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) in Manila; Jose B. Lingad Memorial Hospital (JBLMH) in San Fernando City, Pampanga; Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Iloilo City; Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City; and the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City and Davao Regional Hospital (DRH) in Tagum City.
Indigent patients can approach the social workers assigned to these hospitals. ###
