The Essential Health Care Program of the Department of Education was launched at South City Elementary School in Dumaguete City yesterday.

The EHCP is one of the endeavors of the DepEd that aims at helping school children develop the habit of regularly brushing their teeth, and washing their hands before eating.

The ceremony was attended by Negros Oriental Gov. Emilio Macias II, Dumaguete City Mayor Agustin Perdices, Schools Division Superintendent of Dumaguete and Tanjay Dr. Profetiza Lim, Program Coordinator of GTZ Fit for School Incorporated Cromwell Bacareza, Regional Director of Glaxo Smithkline Foundation Inc. Daisy Sembrano, and ECHP coordinator Merlie Asprer.

Asprer said a study conducted among elementary school children showed that 97 percent have tooth decay and 67 percent experienced stomach ache because of lack of deworming.

Because of the study, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus decided to create the program for the school children.

The EHCP only includes three packages consisting of toothbrush, toothpaste and hand washing soap. The deworming is being implemented in schools at least twice a year, Asprer said.

Negros Oriental is the thirtieth province that has launched and implemented the program, Asprer said helping the EHCP are donors such as GTZ, Glaxo Smithkline Foundation Inc., local government units and other companies.

At present, program coordinators have collected an estimated P56 million in EHC packages from donors. The DepEd did not spend a single centavo for the program, Asprer said.

Lim thanked Macias for supplying packages for school children provincewide.*MA

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