One of the activities that we conducted as a group was helping out the Barangay Health Station in implementing the DOH programs for the community. First was the prenatal screening and checkup for all pregnant mothers, scheduled on a Tuesday. We, as a group, assisted the Barangay Midwife and health workers by checking the mothers’ vital stats and weight, assessing the baby’s growth and development inside the wombs of their mothers, injecting tetanus toxoid and refilling their iron and folic acid supplements, and health teachings as to how to ensure the mothers’ and babies’ good health and safety.

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     Then Wednesday was immunization day, or the day infants get their mandatory immunization shots against deadly but preventable diseases such as hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, and the like. We assisted the BHWs by checking the babies’ vital signs, assessing their growth and development status, injecting the scheduled vaccine, and health teachings as to what the side and adverse effects the mothers should monitor after the shots were given.

 

     In the end, it was an experiential event for us. The non-nurses got to experience all those for the first time, which would be an invaluable lesson come the Maternal and Child Health module. It was also a genuine was of establishing rapport to the locals, as we got to interact with one of the possible target clients for our upcoming projects, the mothers.