Butuan City--Guided by the principle of timeliness of the Philippine Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (PIMAM), Regional Nutrition Cluster visited and provided quick orientation on the assessment of a severely acute malnourished (SAM) child and the therapeutic food as one of the interventions to staff of the Caraga Regional Hospital, Surigao City on 20 March 2022.

Dr. Martin Parreño, UNICEF Philippines Health and Nutrition Specialist, quickly shared the nutrition assessment of SAM with complications and provided rationale on proper nutrition management. On the other hand, UNICEF Nutrition Coordinator, Ms. Kristine Angeli Gimongala discussed how to make F-75 milk formula.

The therapeutic milk, F-75, is given for the treatment of SAM with medical problems, correction of specific deficiencies, correction of metabolic abnormalities, return of appetite and start of feeding with medical supervision.

Present during the one and a half orientation were the staff composed of Medical Specialist II, Dr Cosnarie E. Seguis of Emergency and Family Medicine and Training Specialist of the hospital, Ms. Fransyl R. Jardenil, Ms Bessie T. Saavedra and Ms. Alpha May Galang of the Nutrition and Dietetics Service.

Joining the team are staff of the National Nutrition Council Caraga led by its OIC, Dr. Nìño Archie S. Labordo, information management officers, Ms. Love Joy Juntilla and Annievil del Pilar.

The team is hoping that prompt action could be provided for patients with SAM and start the intervention to prevent deterioration and save SAM patients from death. # NASLabordo