For the people: Hataw and Volleyball games

                 Following the posting of hataw notices all over the barangay, Team GOINnovate resumed the usual exercise routine in the barangay covered court every Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. New dance routine videos were introduced. To better appeal the exercise routines for both the young and the old, simple dance routines of the latest songs were collected from the Zumba group Live, Love, Party’s YouTube channel. The whole exercise spans 40 minutes.

                Although younger participants frequented the afternoon exercise tradition, the team never lost heart and continued to invite the older generation to participate in the activity. They even added a new activity to attract participants: Volleyball. Post-exercise, the team would initiate a game of volleyball, inviting players among the older and more sports-oriented residents. This has appealed better to the residents inspiring a new routine for the program. The team has resolved to play volleyball for one hour and a half everyday with the residents to maintain a healthy workout and wholesome amity in both parties.

               On the 12^th of August, the team held a general meeting of all hypertensives in the barangay. The agenda consisted of inquiring old patients regarding factors that hinder their compliance to their medications and follow-ups in the Rural Health Unit. Majority expressed issue of travel distance. Being a barangay located 13km from the municipality proper, a poor community, plus the elderly being the majority of the hypertensive population, traveling has become taxing and expensive for them.

            This issue has already been anticipated by the project leader, Doc Apple, directing her to establish an understanding with the municipal health officer. With the newly created Barangay Health Center and the availability of a public health nurse and student doctors, it has been agreed that to ensure the compliance of hypertensive patients to their medications, patients who have already consulted with Dr. Digamon, were given pink cards, and prescribed with maintenance meds would be included in the master list of hypertensive patients in the RHU and will receive their monthly supply of antihypertensive meds from the barangay’s health center. Mr. Mark Palma, the barangay’s public health nurse, will be the one to dispense the medication, while BP monitoring will be continued by the BP patrols of each district and the medical students in the health center during out-patient consultations.

            

             Currently, 94 residents have been identified to be hypertensives in Barnagay Goin, 13 have been recently registered in the master list, totaling 76 recorded in the community. Efforts to advocate monitoring of blood pressure and prevention of complications will continue, ensuring that all hypertensives shall be given consultation, maintenance medication, and improved compliance.