Aired (September 28, 2024): Sa dulong bahagi ng karagatan sa Sulu, matatagpuan ang isang komunidad na hirap pagdating sa access sa healthcare facilities.
Kaya gamit lamang ang isang maliit na bangka, binabaybay ni Doc Ned ang karagatan para lamang magbigay lunas at matugunan ang kanilang pangangailangan sa pangkalusugan.
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‘I-Witness’ is GMA Network's longest-running and most awarded documentary program. It is hosted by the country’s top documentarists— Howie Severino, Kara David, Atom Araullo, Mav Gonzales, and John Consulta. ‘I-Witness’ airs every Saturday, 10:15 PM on GMA Network.
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Kaya gamit lamang ang isang maliit na bangka, binabaybay ni Doc Ned ang karagatan para lamang magbigay lunas at matugunan ang kanilang pangangailangan sa pangkalusugan.
#iBenteSingko
‘I-Witness’ is GMA Network's longest-running and most awarded documentary program. It is hosted by the country’s top documentarists— Howie Severino, Kara David, Atom Araullo, Mav Gonzales, and John Consulta. ‘I-Witness’ airs every Saturday, 10:15 PM on GMA Network.
Subscribe to youtube.com/gmapublicaffairs for our full episodes.
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00:00Sulu Archipelago is almost 2,000 kilometers away from Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
00:14At the end of the ocean is the municipality of Pandami.
00:20Boats and small boats are the main transportation here.
00:25For this reason, the basic needs of the people are not fully met.
00:33Aside from having a reputation as one of the places with a dangerous destination due to the threat of terrorism.
00:45But there is one person who has the courage to face the challenge.
00:55He is Doc Ned.
00:58He was forced to serve in Pandami as part of the Doctors to the Barrios Program.
01:06He will serve in a community where most of the houses are located in the ocean.
01:15That is why he serves as an ambulance and hospital.
01:21A small boat.
01:23A small boat.
01:39The Doctor we met, Denmark Valmores, is different from the so-called Doc Ned.
01:48We met him packing his personal belongings in his room in Cagayan de Oro.
01:57Doc Ned was assigned to the island of Pandami in Sulu.
02:04He was excited to show the pictures that were posted on social media.
02:10He was smiling.
02:13He was drinking water.
02:16He was rowing a boat.
02:20Doc Ned had an accident on the day of his deployment.
02:26He was one of the 8 first-time doctors in the Doctors to the Barrios Program of DOH.
02:34According to Doc Ned's parents,
02:36Doc Ned was still young.
02:39It was their child's dream to become a doctor.
02:43Even if I don't have money, I know that medicine is expensive.
02:49But God provided a way for him.
02:53We asked for a study and a pay letter.
02:57As a successful doctor, Doc Ned will travel to a place full of miracles.
03:06It's a lot of pressure.
03:09This is my first job as a doctor.
03:12Since there are no doctors in the municipality,
03:20the DOH needs DTTV.
03:36Doc Ned will travel for a long time to sleep the bad feelings.
04:06Before departing to Sulu, Doc Ned was given a brief orientation by DOH officials regarding his assignment.
04:24Our DTTVs are deployed in JIDA areas or doctor-less areas.
04:34So that our health access to people is fast and easy.
04:45The journey from Buanga to Hulung takes 8 hours.
04:49And from Hulung, the journey to Pandami takes 4 hours.
04:55I'm very willing to go into DTTV wherever it is.
05:02There were rumors before about insurgents and kidnappings.
05:11But if the other doctors who were assigned there survived,
05:18how much more for me?
05:22I'm from Mindanao.
05:31After a long journey, Doc Ned went straight to Siasi District Hospital.
05:38He will stay there for 3 years.
05:43You will commute to Pandami every day.
05:51It's old and accessible.
05:53There are a lot of benches.
05:55You just need to cross the road.
05:5724 hours.
05:59Usually, it can last up to 8 o'clock.
06:02There are still benches from 7 to 8 p.m.
06:05So it's still okay.
06:08Siasi and Pandami are just neighbors.
06:12It's a 5-minute journey by boat.
06:15It costs 10 pesos per person.
06:24It's a 5-minute journey by boat.
06:27It costs 10 pesos per person.
06:29It's a 5-minute journey by boat.
06:35When he arrived at Pandami Rural Health Unit,
06:38Doc Ned was greeted by a public health nurse to go around the facility.
06:54Assalamualaikum.
06:56Hello.
06:59Assalamualaikum.
07:03This is my home for 3 years.
07:09This is what I see on your Facebook post.
07:13So this is where you have meetings?
07:15Yes.
07:18At present, there are 10 medical personnel in Pandami R.H.U.
07:22Doc Ned is the 11th.
07:25In the entire history of the Doctors to the Virus Program,
07:29since it was established in 1993,
07:32Doc Ned is the 2nd in the Pandami Rural Health Unit.
07:43That same day, they will start their visit to the barangays.
07:48There are 16 barangays in Pandami.
07:51On their way to the island, there are 3 barangays here.
07:59It is 30 minutes away from mainland Pandami.
08:03The long line is waiting for them.
08:12This is the smell of a doctor.
08:14Assalamualaikum.
08:16Assalamualaikum.
08:18Come in.
08:20Come in.
08:22Come in.
08:24Assalamualaikum.
08:26Assalamualaikum.
08:28Assalamualaikum.
08:31Assalamualaikum.
08:33Assalamualaikum.
08:35And the simple meet-and-greet became a medical mission.
08:42Even the DOH, Ms. Yas, and the Chief, Salim, were tested for the medicine.
08:50The first patient was a 2-month-old baby with bones all over his body.
08:57Hello.
08:59What is that white thing?
09:02Do you put anything in it?
09:04Amoxicillin.
09:06Amoxicillin?
09:08Did the doctor give it to you?
09:10Over-the-counter.
09:12Thank you for the antibiotics they sell here.
09:15Do you bathe him?
09:18Do you bathe him?
09:20Everyday.
09:22What kind of water do you use?
09:24Sea water.
09:26According to Dr. Ned, the mother needs to go to the Siasi District Hospital for lab tests
09:34because there is no such service in the Pandemic R.H.U.
09:39What I really want to know is if it is bacterial or not.
09:43So, CBC is important.
09:45If only there was a cream to apply.
09:49There is none.
09:52In the end, Dr. Ned sighed.
10:00There are parents who think that it is okay.
10:07They think that their child's condition can be cured by antibiotics.
10:18All antibiotics can be treated.
10:21Even if it is a simple medicine.
10:23Antibiotics.
10:25Antibiotics are accessible.
10:28Antibiotics should not be taken without a prescription.
10:33Because it is in our law.
10:40The group is leaving when it suddenly started to rain heavily.
10:44This is where the situation of Maluguy Island worsened.
10:55On the first day of Dr. Ned in Sulu,
10:58he witnessed the lives of those in remote areas in the Philippines.
11:12The next day,
11:15a man arrived.
11:18His neighbor, who was pregnant while riding a boat,
11:23did not make it to the R.H.U.
11:26Did anyone attend?
11:28Midwife?
11:30No.
11:32Did they go with the midwife?
11:35This is our patient here.
11:38I will take care of her.
11:40The so-called R.H.U. ambulance is a multi-cab ambulance.
11:47This is what we use.
11:49But it can only carry two passengers.
11:53That is why Dr. Ned is just sitting in the car of the Pandemic Police.
11:58The journey to the mother's house is almost an hour long.
12:04She initially told me that she might bleed
12:09because the patient has not been discharged yet.
12:13So we will make sure that she will not bleed.
12:21Where are you?
12:23I'm here.
12:25Where are you?
12:27Hello.
12:29The midwife and the nurse first arrived at the patient's house.
12:35How are you?
12:37Where are you going?
12:39I'm going to see the doctor.
12:41Okay.
12:43The placenta has already come out.
12:46But is she still bleeding?
12:48Is there any active bleeding?
12:51Let's take a look.
12:52Let's take a look.
12:55What's important to me is that she's not bleeding.
12:58Okay.
13:00Has the placenta been checked?
13:02No.
13:04I saw it.
13:06I saw it.
13:08I saw it.
13:10I saw it.
13:12I saw it.
13:14I saw it.
13:16I saw it.
13:18I saw it.
13:20Okay.
13:22Is that a cultural thing?
13:24In rice.
13:26I don't know.
13:28As long as there's no bleeding.
13:30No.
13:32When we get here,
13:34Congratulations.
13:37Doc went to the kitchen.
13:39The young man was examined by the midwife.
13:43The heart that was supposed to be filled with alcohol by the grandmother,
13:47was immediately stopped by Doc.
13:49We don't recommend that anymore.
13:50We don't recommend.
13:52Maybe just for a day.
13:54Because it's wet.
13:56But after that, it's already air-dried.
13:58It's always moist.
14:00That's the infection.
14:02They like that.
14:04Even if it's just water.
14:08It's wet.
14:10It's clean water.
14:12But is alcohol okay?
14:14We don't use alcohol.
14:16We don't recommend it either.
14:18But if there's no source of clean water,
14:23for cleaning,
14:25it's okay.
14:27Alcohol is okay.
14:29Or alcohol with,
14:31dilute it with water.
14:34S.O.P. of doctors,
14:36in every birth of a baby,
14:38a vaccine must be administered immediately.
14:41But Doc Ned was very surprised
14:43at the discovery.
14:45Do we have BCG there?
14:46No, we don't have stock.
14:48We don't have stock.
14:50Even in the unit?
14:52Yes, even in the IPHO, we don't have it.
14:54Hey!
14:56How is that?
14:58So all of Sulu doesn't have BCG?
15:00It's obvious.
15:02We don't have BCG, Doc.
15:04No.
15:06Doc, what's BCG?
15:08What's that?
15:10That's the vaccine for anti-tuberculosis.
15:14Does the baby need it?
15:16Yes.
15:18So at birth, or days from birth,
15:22it's administered.
15:25So now, you won't give it to the baby?
15:28No, we won't give it to the baby.
15:30Let's give it to the mother.
15:32After checking the condition of the baby,
15:39Doc followed up with his mother.
15:42This is his mother.
16:04We need to make sure that the baby doesn't bleed.
16:07How do we know if the baby is bleeding or not?
16:09This is the blood pressure.
16:12If it's low, then of course there's bleeding.
16:16It's not visible on the outside,
16:20but inside, there's bleeding.
16:24Another SOP that Doc didn't follow up with
16:28is the early examination of the placenta.
16:31Ideally, we need to check the placenta.
16:35If the placenta is complete,
16:39then we need to put an abo on it.
16:45It's a cultural thing.
16:47But as much as possible, we need to be able to see it.
16:54According to what they call panday,
16:57or the building of an albolaryo in the Tausu community,
17:00their ancestors have a tradition
17:02that the abo needs to be aborted right away
17:06when the placenta is taken out.
17:08When we get the baby,
17:11then the placenta is inside.
17:14If it's not aborted,
17:16then we need to put an abo on it.
17:22If it's not aborted, then we need to put an abo on it.
17:25We need to put an abo on it
17:28when the mother is done.
17:33No, no.
17:37Meanwhile, Doc Ned continues to observe
17:41the patient's blood pressure.
17:45That's why they were alarmed
17:48by the low BP.
17:50Do you know your BP before?
17:52What was your BP before?
17:55Low BP?
17:57You don't know?
17:59What's your blood pressure?
18:01His mattress needs to be checked up.
18:08Check if there's anything coming out.
18:10It's not too contracted.
18:13Prepare the oxy.
18:15There's nothing coming out?
18:17There is.
18:19Are you feeling okay now?
18:21You're not dizzy?
18:23The uterus is not well contracted.
18:30We have oxytocin for contracture.
18:37If it doesn't improve after 30 minutes,
18:42we need to go to the hospital.
18:46Listen to me.
18:51After 30 minutes of observation,
18:56It's still low.
18:58You have a boat, right?
19:00But the patient refuses to go to the hospital.
19:04You may feel okay now,
19:06but when we're gone,
19:08that's our concern.
19:10Let's check after a few minutes.
19:17According to the family,
19:19they are used to being at home.
19:22That's why the patient refuses to go to the hospital.
19:28Our goal is to have a high BP.
19:31Okay?
19:33Your blood pressure.
19:35Because there's a lot coming out.
19:37Ideally,
19:39we should have a boat.
19:43But even if we have a boat,
19:48we won't be able to go to the hospital.
19:50Because we won't be able to go to the R.H.U.
19:54Sosatseasi District Hospital.
19:58After understanding that his life is at risk
20:03when his blood pressure continues to fall.
20:10We have a choice.
20:19Can't we just go to the R.H.U.?
20:21Yes, we can go to the R.H.U.
20:26The patient was taken out of the house.
20:38The problem is,
20:40most of the transportation is by motorcycle.
20:44There's no boat available for the group.
20:47That's why the police used ambulances.
20:53Okay, let's go.
20:55Let's go.
21:20The group boarded their multi-cab ambulance.
21:27The group boarded their multi-cab ambulance.
21:33It's also important to bring your baby to the hospital
21:37so they can see his condition.
21:57The group boarded their multi-cab ambulance.
22:1080-50.
22:22Hello.
22:27The group boarded their multi-cab ambulance.
22:31The patient is alive.
22:54To the other side.
22:56To the other side.
23:01To the other side.
23:11The boat is now inside
23:14when the heavy rain falls.
23:25But the mother and baby remain calm.
23:32The group boarded their multi-cab ambulance.
23:43When the group arrived at Siasi Port,
23:50the ambulance from the hospital is still not here.
23:54The ambulance is on its way here.
23:57Okay, we're already here.
23:58We're already here.
24:00Okay, thank you.
24:03While the ambulance is waiting,
24:06the rain is getting heavier.
24:13But the doctor doesn't care.
24:16It's not an immediate concern if you're wet or not.
24:20Our concern is the baby.
24:23Even if there's no wind.
24:26Just when the ambulance arrived,
24:29the rain stopped.
24:35It's as if the group is being accompanied by the weather.
24:41Be careful.
24:43Be careful.
24:45You might fall.
24:52We were left behind.
24:53We were left behind.
24:55The baby.
24:56The baby.
25:18While on the trip,
25:20the woman's blood pressure is constantly being observed.
25:27Siasi District Hospital is just near the border.
25:47When they arrived at the emergency room,
25:49Doc Nid immediately turned over the mother to the attending physician.
25:56The patient was immediately given an injection.
26:01You're too weak.
26:03You're too weak.
26:04You're too weak.
26:07There.
26:09So now, our patient is stable.
26:12Her blood pressure has doubled.
26:15Now, she's being over-subscribed.
26:18We also gave her oxytocin.
26:20The patient's symptoms are well-contacted.
26:27The medical community is facing a big challenge
26:31in balancing the tradition of the tribe
26:34and their trust in modern medicine.
26:37Do you want to go to the hospital?
26:40Yes.
26:42But if she can't do it, I'm okay with it.
26:45So, you really want her to go to the hospital?
26:48Yes.
26:50Because you can do it?
26:51Yes.
26:53Their mindset is that
26:55it's a hassle for them to go to the hospital.
26:58They can do it at home.
27:01It's hard for them to change their health-seeking behavior.
27:11Even if we tell them that it's their culture
27:16or that it's what they're used to,
27:21we can still do something about it.
27:24At least, as you can see, we have sanitation.
27:36The next day, before the pandemic hit,
27:40Doc visited her mother at the hospital ward.
27:45So, you're discharged today?
27:47Yes.
27:48If you can do it,
27:50you can do it.
27:52You can walk, right?
27:54That's your body.
27:56You should know your body better.
27:58It's obvious what Doc needs to do.
28:03She needs to be transfused with blood.
28:08But there's no blood bank in Siasi.
28:19The next day, Doc continued to visit the islands affected by the pandemic.
28:31After many consultations, Doc was able to reach Takip Siling.
28:41The medical staff of the pandemic were almost crying
28:45when they were given a doctor.
28:49Ever since in my lifetime,
28:52Doc is the first and the second one.
28:58Our morale will also be low
29:01because we know that we already have a doctor.
29:03Whenever there's news of a new doctor in another municipality,
29:10the rejection they feel is obvious.
29:15Sometimes, Sir Brent and I would say,
29:18there's a new doctor in DTTV.
29:21We'd say, why isn't there anymore?
29:23For 16 barangays like this one,
29:26we only have three of us.
29:29It's not just us who want to have a doctor.
29:32Even the people in the community really want one.
29:36We're not even registered yet.
29:38Honestly, someone was already assigned here before me.
29:44But when they found out that they were assigned here,
29:48they asked for a transfer.
29:54Today is Doc's rest day.
29:57He called his parents to say hello.
30:01Hello.
30:05How are you?
30:08I'm okay.
30:10I'm just a bit tired.
30:13To see a familiar face in a community full of foreigners
30:20helped Doc in any way.
30:25Okay.
30:27They say it's because of the limited distance
30:30that's why the situation is like that in remote places like Pandami.
30:37I'm not saying it's neglected.
30:40Because it's not.
30:43It's just the logistics.
30:47We just hope that the health sector won't be neglected.
30:52Because the health of the people in a community
31:00won't be neglected.
31:04The economy will also fall.
31:08So if you want your economy to grow,
31:12you have to invest in the people.
31:16In their health.
31:18Doc does not think that he is the savior of Pandami.
31:24There is still a lot of work to be done.
31:27But he is happy that in a place that is often avoided and despised,
31:34he was able to make the first step
31:37to make the people here feel that they are not being left behind.
31:45Good evening.
31:47I am John Consulta.
31:50And this is Eyewitness.
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