The group raises the alarm about the vacancies of school health workers after the deworming incident in Cavite
A group of teachers on Monday said that the lack of health workers in schools is causing teachers to do more work than teaching, following the death of a Grade 4 student who fell ill after removing worms.
“Teachers should not be held responsible for this tragedy,” said the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) in the Philippines in a statement.
“For decades, an unresolved shortage of teachers and trained education support staff has forced schools to operate without enough school nurses, lead counselors and other key professionals,” it added.
The Second Congress Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) earlier flagged gaps in health care workers in the country, citing 94,000 doctors, 196,000 nurses, and a large number of midwives and allied health workers lacking to meet the appropriate threshold.
With the current shortage of health workers, said ACT Philippines Chairperson Ruby Bernardo BusinessWorld that the role of Mass Drug Administration Provider (MDAP) often falls to teachers due to the lack of health professionals in schools.
“There should be nurses or doctors from the Schools Division Office (SDO) but since there are few, they let the teachers do the work,” he said in Filipino.
MDAP regulates deworming drugs, according to the Department of Education (DepEd). The role may be assigned to a teacher supervised by health personnel from DepEd, the Department of Health (DoH), or a local government unit (LGU) with strong health background.
Albendazole and Mebendazole are deworming tablets recommended for school-aged children. Both of these drugs aim to prevent worms from moving in the body, killing the parasites.
In DepEd's WASH in Schools (WinS) Three Star Approach Implementation booklet, the agency said that side effects from taking the medicine are usually 'rare' and are usually caused by dead worms inside the body.
In cases of side effects, such as stomach discomfort, headache, and nausea, students are advised to rest for a few hours and drink water.
However, at Hugo Perez Elementary School-Annex in Trece Martires City, Cavite, on July 2, a Grade 4 student was hospitalized after participating in a routine deworming activity.
It is reported that the student had vomited and finally died on July 3 due to diseases that led to stomach upset.
Seven other students have also experienced 'side effects' after taking the deworming pill, but have recovered and returned to school.
“We are committed to fully understanding what happened, and we are cooperating with health authorities as they investigate,” DepEd said.
DepEd noted that it will review its health and safety policies in light of the event to ensure the safety and well-being of students.
“We are providing the necessary emotional, psychological, and material support to the family at this time,” the organization said. “We want to assure everyone that the safety and well-being of our students remains our top priority.” – Almira Louise S. Martinez
