NO DRUG users responded to the launching of the state-owned Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center's (TRC) assessment program to illegal drug personalities held in Barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, Saturday, August 27.
Erwin Rommel Lingad, nurse III and TRC health education designation officer, said that the assessment was supposed to determine the kind of treatment a certain drug respondent needs after undergoing an interview with a medical professional.
However, no one came in to avail the free consultation.
"Wala gayud nianhi kay basin sad na-busy sa fiesta or naulaw. Maybe kay mingaw man dinhi, dali ra sila mailhan sa mga katawhan mao ng wala nalang gyud sila ni-avail. Mao ng dapat gayud i-promote namo ni nga programa para modaghan tawo ug dili na sila maulaw," he said.
Lingad said the initiative is part of the move of the Department of Health to help drug respondents in reforming their lives.
According to Lingad, the interview will include a 20-minute question and answer portion to identify whether the drug responder needs either, a community-based rehabilitation, subscribe to the outpatient program, or the admission to a rehabilitation center.
"This is our community response, magtuyok mi sa mga barangays sa Cagayan de Oro, but only those barangays wherein activated ang ilang Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Badac) ug kadtong naay drug responders, and we will assess them base sa ilang score na makuha and we will recommend sa iyaha ug sa iyang family unsay angayan niya nga treatment," Lingad said.
Lingad said the DOH-TRC is planning to create a satellite office here in the city to cater the need of drug respondents for free.
"We are planning to create a satellite office here in the city, kung ang result sa assessment sa isa ka drug responder is for an outpatient program, pwede namo siya i-refer ani nga opisina aron didto nalang sila mo-report for free," he said.
"Ga-scout nami ug office kay so far sa among pagpangita, lisud kaayo mo-okay sila pagkabalo nila nga drug responders diay ang among i-accommodate," he furthered.
The DOH-TRC is the only government-owned rehabilitation center in Cagayan de Oro City that serves not only drug responders but also in other neighboring regions.
As of this month, the TRC which is at the boundary of Barangay Maitum in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon and Upper Puerto, Cagayan de Oro has 175 male patients.
"We are doing this to really serve the city residents in the barangays gayud to reach out to them. Sa kadaghan pud na-Tokhang, daghan gayud kitang mga angay pud pang-tabangan for public service," he said.