City Pharmacy educating people on worm infestation

CITY Pharmacy in Lae is educating the public on worm infestation and intestinal worms this month.
Intestinal worms is a common infection and affects the most deprived and vulnerable, mainly children.
A one-day free deworming programme was held at the Lae City Pharmacy in Top Town yesterday and targeted children between the ages of two and 12 years.
Nurse Donny Pale did awareness for mothers who brought their children for checks, with health talks on prevention of worm infestation, the importance of hand hygiene and multi-vitamins to boost the immune system. “Children are undernourished and underweight, have diarrheoa and stomach aches because of worm infestation,” he said.
“Worm infection is found in most children today, and therefore such a programme is to help parents know that such disease exists.”
Pale said the free service was for one day and those who attended the programme were lucky.
City Pharmacy Lae manager Erlita Villanueva said the programme started in Port Moresby, but due to requests from Lae, it was taken there for a day only.
“We gave out free Albendazole tablets, 200ml or 400ml depending on the weight of the child to deworm them,” she said.
Nurse coordinator Sandra Cunningham said the dedication to health education of Papua New Guineans was first and foremost for City Pharmacy.