Monkeypox info drive reaches more barangays

The City Health Office (CHO) has already covered 13 health districts in its information drive on monkeypox, an official said.

Dr. Kristy June Dayanan, CHO program manager and head of the Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (EREID) unit, in an interview with the City Information Office (CIO) on Tuesday, said that they have already covered the health workers, Barangay Health Workers, and other officials and personnel of the 13 health districts.

“For the awareness training, we have five districts left na wala pata’y (that are yet to receive) orientation,” Dayanan said.

Paquibato, Sasa, Agdao, Talomo South, and Talomo Central are the remaining districts to be oriented but a schedule for awareness training in each of the said areas has been set for next week.

Dayanan said that they do not restrict the attendance to Barangay Health Workers and that the training can also be attended by other barangay functionaries.

“Dili ginapili kinsa, amo lang kinsa ang willing and gusto mu-attend sa orientation (We do not choose who will join, as long as they want to attend the orientation),” she said.

The orientation primarily focuses on the prevention and management of monkeypox cases.

She said that some BHWs who attended the training re-echoed the key points of the awareness training after the orientation. Some of them have already reported that they are done re-echoing the training.

Apart from the health workers, the second batch of the training for frontliners was done last September 2, and the training for the last batch of the frontliners is also set. Aligned in October is the awareness training for the members of the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (BDRRMO).

Dayanan said that as to the request for the recalibration of the molecular laboratories in the city to cater to monkeypox cases, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) is still setting its criteria, which will be applied across all cities and municipalities.

“For our isolation facility in BSP Malagos, trained na ang atong medical personnel, and gi-una namo sila og training even their utility workers nga mulaba ug mulimpyo for the isolation facilities. Ang Rapid team nga maoy mu-transport sa cases, gi-una namo sila og train adtong August 25 (For our isolation facility in BSP Malagos we have trained our medical personnel. We prioritized them and even their utility workers who will wash and clean the isolation facility. The Rapid team, which will transport the cases, we already trained them last August 25),” Dayanan said.

She said that the Southern Philippines Medical Center, as a referral hospital, is also ready.

Dayanan advised the public to continue following the health protocols to avoid monkeypox.
“Ipadayon lang nato social distance, hugas og kamot pirmi ug sakto nga pagsuot sa face mask. (We should continue to practice social distancing, frequent hand washing, and the proper wearing of facemasks),” she said. CIO