DOH to link with DSWD for 4Ps kids counseling

FILE (Photo by Leilani S. Junio)

MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said that it will coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the counseling of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) children who were vaccinated with Dengvaxia.

“Marami silang (They have many) social workers, so I think, we might be working with them,” said DOH Undersecretary Enrique Domingo in an interview with the media.

Domingo said majority of the recipients of the Dengvaxia, a dengue vaccine, were from 4Ps of DSWD and the agency’s social workers can have easier access to their families in case there is a need to provide them immediate counseling.

He said he is confident that tapping DSWD as a partner in managing stress and possible trauma among children will push through as the agency had also expressed its willingness to help identify the children injected with the vaccine.

The DSWD also expressed its willingness to provide help to those who need medical assistance, Domingo said.

“DSWD will provide medical assistance to indigent families, whether or not their children received the Dengvaxia vaccine, through the Department’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program,” DOH Officer-In-Charge Emmanuel Leyco said in previous interviews.

Those who want to avail must present the following requirements to any DSWD Field Office:

Clinical Abstract/Medical Certificate with signature and license number of the attending physician (issued not later than three months);
Hospital Bill (for payment of hospital bill) or prescription (for medicines) or laboratory requests (for procedures);
Barangay Certificate of Residency/Indigency and any valid ID of the client; and/or
Referral letter

As recipients of cash grants for 4Ps, the children are usually required to receive immunization since 4Ps is an investment on the health and education of poor children to ensure that they are in school and in good health.

Meanwhile, Domingo said that aside from DSWD, the DOH is also coordinating with the Philippine Red Cross in the provision of psycho-social counseling and the Department of Education in finalizing the masterlist of the children vaccinated with Dengvaxia.

Psycho-social counseling was one of the recommendations by hospital directors to help children and their parents overcome the fear and trauma when the Dengvaxia controversy happened.