More than 800 residents benefit from medical-dental mission

More than 800 residents of Baguio City and Benguet benefited from the recently conducted medical and dental mission by the SM Foundation.

Dubbed as “Gamot Para sa Kapwa,” this is a yearly activity in all provincial malls and the barangay health center counterpart, the Felicidad T. Sy Wellness Center.

The Gamot Para sa Kapwa program of the SM Foundation aims to provide ancillary services to communities which have limited or no access to such services, to give literacy programs to enable communities and individuals to prevent and manage diseases and illnesses after the medical mission, and to provide an avenue to encourage health advocacy, multi-sectoral coordination and community participation.

“Ang goal namin ay makatulong sa mga communities surrounding the SM malls. We go all over the Philippines, Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao or kung saan may malls ng SM andoon din kami providing medical mission at least once a year to provide free consultations and give free vitamins, medicines and maintenance meds for diabetes, hypertension and other illness with the support of our partners,” SM Foundation Sr. Project Manager Dr. Blessie Bertos said.

Among the services provided include free medical check-up and treatment, dental check-up and treatment, blood pressure check-up, bloodtyping, blood sugar testing and monitoring, height and weight check-up, ECG and X-ray and medicines and vitamins for the 895 beneficiaries.

Bertos thanked their partners in the conduct the medical mission such as the Department of Health-Cordillera, Department of Social Welfare and Development-Cordillera, the Philippine Red Cross, Watsons, Kapwa ko Mahal Ko, College International de Chirurgiens, 911 on Call, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center and Philippine Military Academy. (JDP/ RMC – PIA CAR & Danielle Garin – UC Intern)