Advocating for the accessibility of health services and other social services for the people directly to various communities of Davao City is the main effort of the group behind SAKTO or Serbisyo Alang sa Katawhan, Tiunay, Organisado.
Ariel Casilao, regional spokesperson of Bayan Muna who is leading the S.A.K.T.O vehicle said, “While pushing laws in Congress for a comprehensive and accessible health care for the people, we are conducting these services as a venue to empower people of their basic rights for a quality health program as a state responsibility.”
Casilao said, “It’s high time to give the right services to the people, or SAKTO.”
The Urban Integrated Health Services-Southern Mindanao Region, Incorporated (UIHS-SMRI), together with Bayan Muna, render health services in the hinterlands and depressed communities in Davao City. Services include dental and medical missions, free fasting blood sugar and blood screening, psycho-social therapy in conflict affected areas and relief operations are some of the efforts that SAKTO had been doing to alleviate marginalized people’s poor health conditions.
For 24 years UIHS-SMRI in Southern Mindanao has been giving free trainings on basic health care, alternative medicines and first aid trainings as part of the advocacy of the group on community-based health program. In the early 2000, with its partnership with Bayan Muna, the group had initiated a mobile clinic in order to deliver medical services to far-flung areas and, up to now, managing the operation of a clinic and a pharmacy in Davao City catering to indigent patients.
This year UIHS-SMRI, along with Bayan Muna, launched its S.A.K.T.O. going to various communities in Davao City.
Aside from the services, Casilao and SAKTO are actively educating people not only on their right to health care, but also the right to basic social services.
SAKTO is set to host a series of physical development lectures and trainings for the out of school youth, including sports clinics, according to Casilao.
He said that SAKTO is also rendering libreng gupit and deworming in various communities in Davao aside from medical missions and they have been doing these services despite their pork barrel being withheld by the Arroyo government since 2005.
Meanwhile, SAKTO is looking for more health volunteers and accepting donations for the expansion of their services to indigent communities in the Davao region.
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