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Barrio doctors. They are nothing but miracle workers.

Doc Benj shows his bedroom cum sala cum library cum dining area.

Shunning the limelight of Cosmo Manille and the lure of fun and comfort in urban cities, this group of young men and women tirelessly and selflessly help poor rural communities better manage their healthcare. They have no goal except to pay it forward i.e. spread to the poor the blessings they have received and continues to receive from the First Gentleman (FG) as scholars of Bagong Doktor Para sa Bayan, now DOH’s DTTB barrio doctors – another pro-poor program fully supported by the First Gentleman Foundation Inc.

One such doctor is Dr. Benjamin Dalit Jr. From Bulacan and has finished medical school in Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Doc Benj, as he is fondly called by peers and patients alike, is now in Delfin Albano, Isabela as its Municipal Health Officer (MHO) aka barrio doctor.

“I can honestly say I am a changed man. And I owe this to the FG Foundation. Without its support and care, all of what I am now and what I do for Delfin Albano will not happen without the FG Foundation. Whatever so-called miracles we deliver and all forms of service we provide, all of them happen through the generosity of FG. We cannot thank him enough for being a blessing to us barrio doctors and the communities we serve,” Doc Benj said.

Delfin Albano is a 4th class municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines, formerly known as Magsaysay, Isabela. It has a population of 24,899 people in 4,825 households, 29 barangays & 1 sitio occupying a total land area of 19,000 hectares.

Armed with a natural wit and humor, Doc Benj has adopted well to his new humble surrounding and the people of Delfin Albano have learned to appreciate and love the new doctor in the house.

Since he became MHO, there is a marked increase in the number of people seeking medical help. More and more people have begun to trust the rural health unit (RHU) in the municipality. The RHU is cleaner, friendlier, accommodating and “more inviting”. Thanks to Doc Benj, it no longer has the “gambling and drinking” environment it used to have that made people dislike the RHU before.

Doc Benj shows the makeshift incubator he made to save the lives of prematurely born twins last September 2009. Both are very healthy babies now.

Doc Benj has also introduced a number of innovations that have produced healthier Delfin Albano residents. He has developed a well-functioning maternity ward, which brought more confidence to the community.

Before residents would engage traditional birth attendants (hilot) and risk the lives of the mother and the child but now they go for facility-based delivery thus saving lives from possible danger and health risks. His ingenuity and creativity clearly manifested when he developed a makeshift incubator made of local materials that saved the lives of the twins he delivered in the RHU.

Doc Benj has also lead in a number of information campaigns and counseling sessions that were all welcomed by the residents. The many misconceptions on healthcare that used to abound are now minimized paving the way for a more knowledgeable and healthy community.

All these achievements have not remained unnoticed. The Department of Health’s Center for Health Development in Tuguegarao/Cagayan Valley has awarded him and the RHU as an important “Partner” of the Interlocal Health Zone in developing health systems and financing. The Delfin Albano RHU has also been accredited by the PhilHealth for outpatient benefit package thereby making health care accessible and affordable to residents.

In spite of these successes, Doc Benj, still, has many plans. He is now working for PhilHealth accreditation on TB DOTS and Maternal Benefit Package. He wants to further improve the facilities of the RHU to better serve the resident of Delfin Albano. He dreams of one day providing universal and accessible health care to all barangays. When his tour of duty expires in November 2010, he wants to study and specialize in surgery in Manila and then go back to Delfin Albano to be its surgeon which is badly needed by the community.

Already, the FG Foundation has pledged all its 150 Bagong Doktor scholars to join the DTTB program after graduation. Also, the FG Foundation has 31 doctors under specialization training under the Bagong Espesyalista project.

For more on the priority projects of the First Gentleman Foundation, visit the website at http//www.firstgentlemanfoundation.org.ph.

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