CLARK FREEPORT – The number of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/ AIDS) cases in the workforce here is now “progressively increasing” in numbers.
This was the report made by Dr. Clemencita Dobles, health and sanitation manager of the Clark Development Corp., during the media forum “Balitaan” organized by the Capampangan in Media, Inc. in cooperation with the CDC at the Bale Balita here on Friday.
Dobles said out of about 55,000 HIV/AIDS positive cases in the country, more than a thousand are reported in nearby Bulacan province and more than a thousand more are reported in adjacent Angeles City in Pampanga.
Tuberculosis (TB) is also high with some afflicted with HIV that is why it is now called TB HIV, Dobles said.
She said the age group that is more affected now is that of the working class between 24 to 35 years old.
She said the National Capital Region (NCR) remains the number one affected region while Region IV-A (Calabarzon) is number two and Regions 3 and 7 (Central Visayas) are at number 3. But all regions are now affected, she added.
Dobles said in 2008, there is one HIV positive case per day but now it’s 31 HIV positive per day and these are only the reported cases and those that have been tested.
She said categorization is by province and by cities and municipalities since Clark workers go home to their respective cities, municipalities provinces. “The identification of individuals is always based on where they live not where they work,” she pointed out.
That is why Clark is promoting HIV/AIDS awareness for every company here, she said.
“There are several companies where we already conducted awareness at the same time testing,” she said. “For about 100 workers there are about 80 who voluntarily undergo testing and then they will be categorized according to their cities, municipalities or provinces.”
Dobles said her department’s task is mainly regulatory, delegated by the Department of Health (DOH) regional office through a memorandum of agreement.
“We are implementing the Code of Sanitation of the Philippines and we are also implementing the Occupational Safety and Health Standards of the Department of Labor and Employment,” she said. “Our task is to make sure the workers, as they come in healthy they will go home healthy.”
“Based on the laws, we require companies to have their own set-up inside that is why there are many who train for company physicians and nurses,” she noted. “They have requirements for facilities, medical supplies and equipment depending on the size of their employment.”
Dobles said her department also promotes the DOH programs. One example is the awareness on “non-communicable diseases” since they do not involve microbes and they are not about viruses. “These are mainly lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hyper tension,” she said.
“The DOH has a package for essential and non-communicable diseases primarily focusing on diabetes and hyper tensions and the package includes trainings for doctors and nurses to identify and to capture case findings and even provide maintenance medicines so we have adopted that now in Clark we have about now 20 companies enrolled,” Dobles said. “This is very helpful among rank and file.”
In the field of sanitation, Dobles said her department regulates health requirements of locators through sanitation. “We look if they provide adequate rest rooms for such number of employees or bathrooms for persons with disabilities (PWDs),” she said.
Meanwhile, Dobles said the number one cause of disability in the world is depression in work places and skeletal problems is only number two.
She also lamented that the Philippines is late in passing the Mental Health Law as compared to other countries.
“We will also be promoting seminars for Human Resources Departments (HRDs) to teach them how to handle cases of mental health on their level and know where to refer them,” she said.
“It is hard to identify mental health cases because they won’t tell you that is why the health personnel should be very keen in observing the workers,” she added.
“The training is to be able to let the employee talk and share his feelings,” she said. “Unfortunately, mental health problems are not covered by health insurance but with the mental health law it might now be covered.”
