transparent and genuinely free health services!
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| Photo from Association
for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia |
About 100 children and their parents
from Quezon City gathered and demanded government support for their health
needs in Barangay Bagong Silangan basketball court today. They also labeled
President Duterte’s response to Dengvaxia victims as slow, corrupt and not for
free.
ARCSEA, a child focused rights group,
gathered Dengvaxia immunized children and their parents from Quezon City for
their Dengue awareness campaign caravan called “May K din Kami!,” which goes
around Metro Manila and Southern Luzon and aims to educate children on Dengue
and the controversial issue of Dengvaxia.
Dengvaxia victims shared their stories
and emotions during the brief psycho-social first aid activity which ARCSEA
facilitated.
“It turns out that even after almost
half a year since the controversy broke, children and their parents still fear
for their health and lives. The fear that they might die due to the previous 87
recorded and suspected Dengvaxia related deaths still haunts them,” said
Madella Santiago, a social worker and executive director of ARCSEA.
The children demanded genuinely free
medical check-up and laboratory services during the Children Speak Out program,
which they held after the first aid activity.
“It’s been a while since the disaster
affected many families but up until now, the free health service that the
Duterte administration is bragging about is not clear and some parents are
saying that payments for their check-ups and laboratory services have come from
their pockets,” continued Santiago.
“The victims need to have the clear
protocols and along with that is a budget that will ensure the services for
victims. We don’t need a budget that will again be corrupted by politicians. We
warn politicians that this budget is for justice that the victims have been
asking for,” added Santiago.
The group reiterated their calls for a
speedy, transparent and genuinely free health service and accountability of
then budget secretary Abad, health secretary Garin and former President Aquino.
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| Photo from Association for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia |
“We want justice for the victims through
holding accountable not just former president Aquino and responsible cabinet
secretaries but we also hold accountable the Duterte administration that
apparently neglects the victims,” Santiago concluded.
Association for the Rights of Children
in Southeast Asia (ARCSEA)
www.childrightssea.org
www.arcsea.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/ARCSEAchildrights
www.twitter.com/KayaNatintoKids