(D1) BRGY PALUMLUM: IMMUNIZATION, TINOLA, AND A REKINDLED FIRE TO SERVE

"Pag ikaw nasa community, dapat may puso ka"

Our first day started with rain, and it ended with showers of wisdom and weight that bears my heart — the hope and weight of becoming a doctor ng bayan. 

The travel was long, the waiting time, longer, and the courtesy call with the Mayor was nothing we expected. He mentioned of building a super health center, and a hospital to serve the public. But the most noticeable thing that caught my attention were how the RHU workers are so busy. Upon arriving at the RHU, there was a line for the routine check-up. We were introduced to the Municipal health doctor, Dr. Elie Sargento, who mentions that we are to be grouped and deployed into different barangays. I was tasked to go to Brgy. Palumlum with two other second years. It took us fifteen minutes to reach the Brgy. with Nurse Lina from the RHU. There we were greeted with six BHWs who are ready for the day. There were patients waiting for immunization and consult. It seems to be routine for them — the interview, vital signs, scheduling, and even doing simple talks with the patients. They seem to know them very well. 

I wondered, how are they supposed to know these people? They explained: BHWs are to be deployed for checking each household. As for Brgy. Palumlum, the ratio for BHW to household are unequal, with 1 BHW to 90 household instead of the normal 1:20. I checked the houses around, the distances between houses were almost 100 - 300 meters each. I cannot imagine the labor it took to visit and interview all 90 houses. But they seemed happy when I asked them of their work. They monitor, record, and encode the data for immunization for it to be transmitted to the municipality level. To my surprise, they even offered us free lunch. Imagine, the cold seeping through the thin and unfinished walls of the Brgy. hall, paired with hot soup from the Tinola they gave us. A somber yet heartwarming demonstration of how the people of this community fuels the fire to provide the health service the public needs. 

I asked ma'am Lina, is the compensation for becoming a health worker good? she answered "No, Hawak ko halos 5 Brgy., pabalik balik ako araw-araw sa mga Barangay, kahit nung pandemic di ako natutulog dahil nagbabakuna kami. Totoo na nadedepress kami" I asked her in return, what motivates her to do all the work then? she answered:

"Pag ikaw nasa community, dapat may puso ka". It's her answer all along; it was not the money, the glory, or anything selfish. It was her desire to help those in need. She emphasized "Dapat pag may lumapit dito, dapat bigyan niyo ng tulong kahit kakaunti at dapat di sila aalis na di natutulungan manlang. Si doktora hawak niya 32 barangay at lahat yon binibisita niya kahit sabado o linggo"

My conversation with Ma'am Lina struck a question in me. What is the reason why I need to become a doctor? I was able to answer it clearly today. It was never the high salary, nor the great recognition from my relatives. It was the desire rekindled by people like Ma'am Lina that drives me to try harder to be the best doctor I could be.  To study and do my best in everything. I do not do it for myself; I do it for my future patients. I want to reflect the overflowing service that I have experienced and witnessed in the likes of Dr. Sargento and Ma'am Lina—the desire to make myself useful for the people. This is the essence of becoming a Doktor ng Bayan, and I feel so overwhelmed every time I witness these moments of sacrifice from health workers. This encounter fueled me to strive harder and be competent enough to serve the public.