Caroleen’s Treasures

Yesterday was Eman’s schedule to get measles vaccine. Here in the Philippines you have two options to get your child vaccinated. If you have plenty of money or you just want to avoid the hassle of long queue and heat, go to the private clinics where you pay around P1,000 to P1,500. And if you are like me with not much money to spare or you are frugal mom, then going to the Barangay Public Health Center is your best option. It should be FREE but centers have different policies. In Kabacan they only have a small donation box and it’s not compulsory to drop but I always put in P20.00 or P50.00. In Trento, Agusan del Sur we are asked to pay and they issue official receipt. They always ask me to pay P40.00 each visit but I overheard the midwife ask the mother beside me “Kaya nimo bente?” (Can you afford twenty?). I think they make an assessment based on your physical appearance and on what stuffs you bring. We always bring the camera and I always dress Eman in nice outfit. That might be the reason. But everyone can wear nice outfit if they just know how to find one in ukay-ukay (gently used clothes from abroad).

Okay back in the Health Centers. Here in Mintal I was asked to pay P20.00. I didn’t bother to ask what was it for. We were there last January 20 but we just went home tired and hungry. I was just thankful that I woke up in the right side of bed because if not, I could have given them my two cents.

We arrived there at 9am. I was wearing Eman in the sling and as usual we got strange stares again. But I think they are just amazed at how I walked past the other moms gracefully and filled out the form without any problem. Eman was inside the sling munching on his cracker while looking at the other babies being carried by their moms with a diaper bag and/or umbrella on the other hand. The lady at the desk has been to the house before when they went around the barangay to weigh babies. She’s nice and friendly. She looked for the record booklet where midwives write the vaccine and the date it was given. I didn’t bring that one so I told her I could not find it ( because we just moved and it’s in the box with the hospital bills and other important documents). The nice lady said it’s fine and gave me a paper with the number in it. They called baby #24 and we Eman is #44.

A healthy lady (I think she’s one of the medical team from the City Health Office who came with the nurse) called me in to ask for the record booklet. I repeated what I said to the nice lady at the desk and she said they need it because it is their basis of what vaccines they child has been given. I told her that the nice lady at the desk didn’t tell me that that booklet could mean life and death. Not literally, but you know what I mean. I asked her if they won’t give vaccine to Eman just because we don’t have it. She said it will be most likely but they will refer us to the nurse and the nurse will make a decision. Unluckily, the nurse went somewhere but she assured me that she will be back but couldn’t give me a definite time. Then another bad thing was the nice lady was like washing her hands. She said she told me earlier that the booklet should be in. I just zipped my mouth because I know she’s one of the underpaid health workers and I don’t want her to get memoed. See, being nice could save your life! LOL I decided to go home and get something to eat, nap and go back there in the afternoon.

So we went home after they assured me that we will be entertained in the afternoon until 4pm. I preferred going home because I can’t stand the long wait under the heat of the sun. In the afternoon I easily found that darn record booklet and we arrived there with no other moms and babies but us. The nurse and other health workers are outside and I know they are talking about our dilemma while we are parking the motorcycle. When we got there the nurse was telling them, “Oy hindi ninyo dapat tanggihan ‘yan…kasi irereklamo kayo niyan at mumurahin kayo…isususmpa kayo na lalaki ang tiyan ninyo.” (Don’t refuse to give vaccine because if you do, they will complain about you and they will speak ill towards you…then they will curse you that your belly will get big.) I like that nurse!!!! She just knows what I can do. LOL Then the healthy lady mused, “Oy wag naman kasi malaki na nga ang tiyan ko.” (Ops, please don’t because my belly is already huge) LOL

The nurse is only kidding but she is certainly right. They can’t refuse to give my baby vaccine just because I don’t have that booklet. I am the mother and mothers wanted the best for their babies and although I often forget about what I am cooking in the stove, I can’t forget about important stuffs like this.