Valenzuela City gov’t sends ‘clinic on wheels’ to schools

MANILA, Philippines — Beginning this school year, tens of thousands of young students in Valenzuela City will get free medical checkups at least once a year.

Only recently, the city government acquired two mobile medical and dental clinics—one each for Valenzuela’s two districts—to serve the more than 70,000 students in its public elementary schools.

The mobile health clinics are each equipped with an examination room that can be further split into two smaller rooms, two dental chairs complete with instruments and tools, a sterilizer, a counter and sink and a medicine cabinet.

Both will offer medical and dental examinations, tooth extractions, fluoride application, and pit and fissure sealant application. They will be manned by a team of dentists, dental aides and city doctors.

Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian said the two mobile clinics would go around the public elementary schools during the school year to serve students who may not have access to even the most basic of health services.

Aside from visiting schools, the mobile clinics will also be used for a number of community health initiatives, according to the city government.