LUBAO, Pampanga – In an effort to further strengthen the province’s health service delivery network and prepare for the rainy season, Governor Lilia “Nanay” Pineda convened with some 4600 barangay health workers (BHWs) together with their respective village chiefs for a community health summit in separate venues in this town and in the City of San Fernando last Friday.
According to Dr. Marcelo Jaochico, provincial health officer, the activity aims to educate health workers on infectious diseases prevalent during rainy seasons such as, leptospirosis, fungal infection and other flood-related skin diseases, amoebiasis and other diarrheal diseases, and typhoid fever.
The first batch of some 1500 BHWs and village chiefs from the province’s second district gathered at the Lubao Gymnasium wherein Dr. Jehan Jao of the the Department of Health gave a lecture on the symptoms and treatments of said common infectious diseases.
Dr. Zenon Ponce, hospital chief of Escolastica Romero District Hospital, delivered pertinent health advisories and had a dialogue with some of the BHWs experiencing difficulties acquiring health services from the district hospitals.
Dr. Ponce assured them, however, that the provision of quality and accessible healthcare services for all especially for the poor is their top priority. He even asked the BHWs to report to him directly any cases of maltreatment of patients in ERDH.
Meanwhile, Governor Pineda took this opportunity to convey her gratitude to her partners in health service and attributed the success of the province’s healthcare delivery to the untiring efforts and volunteerism of BHWs.
“The province’s health programs were recognized by PNoy in his last SONA and it was made possible by your hard work and eagerness to help our fellow Kapampangans in need of medical attention,” Pineda said.
The governor also stressed the role of BHWs in information dissemination and said cooperation from the barangay level is crucial for any program to work.
The second batch of some 3,100 BHWs from the first, third, and fourth district convened at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center for the same orientation.
By Angelique DC Tuazon
