Elderly patients receive personal hygiene supplies from PH Red Cross
To provide essential needs, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) distributed hygiene kits to elderly inpatients of the Female Aged Care and Wellness Unit of the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH).
(Photo from Philippine Red Cross)
Secretary General Gwen Pang and PRC Board of Governors Vice Chairperson Corazon Alma De Leon led the distribution of 150 hygiene kits on May 30. PRC turned over the hygiene packages to medical officers Delfin Morandarte and Cristina Palma of NCMH's Female Aged Care and Wellness Unit. Pang, a nurse, explained that internal factors like impairment and disabilities and external factors like physical environment, inequalities, discrimination, and stigma make it difficult for people to access and practice hygiene. “The PRC acknowledges that individuals with specific needs face the detrimental effects of social stigma, which leads to lesser or even no participation and engagement on their part," Pang said. "Through our hygiene promotion and provision of hygiene kits, we hope they feel loved and not forgotten," she added. PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Gordon have previously launched NCMH activities to demonstrate the Red Cross' commitment to universal access to fundamental human needs. "The PRC develops initiatives to accommodate individuals with specific needs because they are important to us," Gordon said. "We ensure their involvement in every phase and recognize that they are still part of our society. Never forgotten and always to be treated with dignity," he added. The kit includes a bar soap, soap dish, hand towel, shampoo, toothbrush, and toothpaste. Palma, one of the medical officers in charge of supervising the unit, said that the provision of hygiene kits is essential to assist patients in maintaining cleanliness. She also mentioned that the arrival of the patients' hygiene items is sometimes delayed, or that the resources available at times may not be sufficient to accommodate all of the patients. *(Rhowen Del Rosario)*
(Photo from Philippine Red Cross)
Secretary General Gwen Pang and PRC Board of Governors Vice Chairperson Corazon Alma De Leon led the distribution of 150 hygiene kits on May 30. PRC turned over the hygiene packages to medical officers Delfin Morandarte and Cristina Palma of NCMH's Female Aged Care and Wellness Unit. Pang, a nurse, explained that internal factors like impairment and disabilities and external factors like physical environment, inequalities, discrimination, and stigma make it difficult for people to access and practice hygiene. “The PRC acknowledges that individuals with specific needs face the detrimental effects of social stigma, which leads to lesser or even no participation and engagement on their part," Pang said. "Through our hygiene promotion and provision of hygiene kits, we hope they feel loved and not forgotten," she added. PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Gordon have previously launched NCMH activities to demonstrate the Red Cross' commitment to universal access to fundamental human needs. "The PRC develops initiatives to accommodate individuals with specific needs because they are important to us," Gordon said. "We ensure their involvement in every phase and recognize that they are still part of our society. Never forgotten and always to be treated with dignity," he added. The kit includes a bar soap, soap dish, hand towel, shampoo, toothbrush, and toothpaste. Palma, one of the medical officers in charge of supervising the unit, said that the provision of hygiene kits is essential to assist patients in maintaining cleanliness. She also mentioned that the arrival of the patients' hygiene items is sometimes delayed, or that the resources available at times may not be sufficient to accommodate all of the patients. *(Rhowen Del Rosario)*