CAGAYAN DE ORO (PIA)–The Department of Health (DOH)-10 observes this year’s Oral Health Month with the theme “Paigtingin: Oral Health for Juan at Juana sa panahon ng pandemya” to underscore the importance of dental health amid the disruption caused by coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic.
“We are trying to advocate oral health this pandemic since we cannot say that an individual is totally healthy if he/she got rotten teeth,” dentist Shirley Mosende of DOH-10 said.
In support of Presidential Proclamation No. 559 which declares the month of February as the National Oral Health Month, DOH-10 reminds the public of the importance of good oral health.
Mosende disclosed that their oral health services such as oral health exam, teeth extractions, and more, are still going on in rural health centers, public hospitals, city health offices, and provincial health offices with their more than 90 dentists.
Blood donation advocacy
In addition to observing oral health month, DOH-10 also advocates for blood donation, as it considers January and February as “lean months,” registering low blood donation turnout.
In Northern Mindanao, there are seven lead blood service facilities authorized by the DOH that are also considered as pseudo-blood centers where people can donate, with two major blood centers located in Cagayan De Oro namely, the Philippine Red Cross and Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC).
Aside from helping save someone else’s life, Mosende also cited that regular donation can also be a good way to determine the integrity of an individual’s health.
“If you are a regular blood donor, this shows that you’re a healthy individual . We usually call attention to individuals who have issues in their blood when we screen it,” she said. (VPSB/PIA10)
