Family and Life Ministry Sponsors Women’s Wellness and Medical Clinic, March 11
Last Sunday, March 11, in cooperation with Kalusugan ng Kababaihang Pangkabayanan, or KnKP Inc., CTK’s Family and Life Ministry, led by Regie and Joanne Polancos, offered free women’s health awareness and medical services at the CTK Parish Hall, from 8 am to 3 pm. The services continued to be announced in all the morning masses as well as the noon mass.
The free services included: pre-natal ultrasound and check up (for pregnant patients), breast examination, cervical cancer screening (cryotherapy), pelvic and transvaginal ultrasound, as well as gynecologic consultation.
The services were made available to all female parishioners, from age 20 up, but everyone had to preregister to ensure that resources were adequately matched to demand. All the services and consultations were done at the CTK Parish Hall, which was converted into a miniclinic for the occasion, with the stage being sectioned off for the more private and sensitive tests and procedures.
The KnKP Inc. team was headed by OBGyne Consultants Dr. Connie Alfiler and Dr. Tonette Arcales , supported by a full team of OB-Gyne staff, all from The Medical City (TMC).
Regie & Joanne were assisted by the core team members of the Family & Life Ministry:
‣ Edwin & Michelle Bernardo took charge of pre screening of patients
‣ Jeanette Cagurangan was responsible for snack distribution
‣ Louie & Jops Padrinao acted as queue marshals aside from assisting with the physical arrangements
‣ Aji & Angie Rualo also assisted with marshalling the patient queues
‣ Joel Tamor was a queue marshal while spouse Annavi Tamor assisted with pre-screening
‣ Ryanna & Regina Polancos assisted with snack dist r ibution , took photographs, and substituted as queue marshals
From Diwanihan Kristiyano:
‣ Che Bartolome also assisted with managing the patient queues
‣ Julie Barrientos helped wi th distributing snacks
‣ Leny Frades took charge of registration
The Ministry core team started set-up of the Parish Hall as early as 6 pm, since the stage had to be set up for the physical examination beds and ultrasound equipment, then curtained o f f . Registration began at 7:30 am as soon as the Qirst patients began arriving, with patient numbers being assigned. At the registration desk, patients were immediately asked if they were pregnant or suspected themselves of being pregnant. If they were, they were given priority in the queue and immediately tagged with a P (for ‘pregnant’) sticker. At 8:15, Regie Polancos began with an Opening Prayer, then introduced the KnKP doctors. By 8:30 am, the Qirst registrants began to be processed, starting with the pre-screening, with patients accomplishing the health forms with the help of core team members Edwin and Michelle Bernardo and Annavi Tamor.
The patients then proceeded to the physical examination and ultrasound section, which was the curtained-off stage . Upon completion, they then did the gynecologic consultation with the senior doctors. Depending on need, medicines would then be dispensed, for free. The free medicines, which included Amoxycillin, Calcium, Doxycycline, and Ferrous Sulfate, were provided courtesy of The Generics Pharmacy (TGP), thru Ms. Debbie Pangan, their Corporate Communications Head.
190 registered patients showed up, out of slightly over 200 who called to conQirm their participation. Of the 190, only eight were pregnant and therefore went through a different process. There were 68 patients from the Libis community, roughly an equal number from the CTK villages, while the remainder came from other areas such as Pasig, Cainta, Antipolo, Makati, Sampaloc, Mandaluyong, and Cavite but most of whom tended to hear mass at CTK.
While patients waited for slots to free up with the physical examination and ultrasound, they were treated to a lecture on Basic Life Support by The Medical City (TMC) CPR Group headed by Cardiologist Consultant Dr. Raul Ramboyong supported by his team of cardiologists from TMC . They demonstrated the basic techniques of CPR then asked some of the core team members and a few patients to try their hand, using four dummies that the team brought with them.
There were also filmed lectures on women’s health that kept playing in a loop.
