Project EU “Champions for Health” (Kadarag-an sa Ikaayong Lawas)

2019

This is an Entry to the Government Best Practice Recognition Awards

Title

Project EU “Champions for Health” (Kadarag-an sa Ikaayong Lawas)

Organization

Local Government Unit San Jose de Buenavista

Best practice Focus Area(s)

Leadership, Customer and citizen focus

Year Implemented

2016

Summary

Project Champions for Health “EU” is a program where high quality health care services were brought to every barangay of San Jose de Buenavista. It delivers rightful, sustainable, and quality health service for all the people of the municipality, especially the poor. The program leads the pursuit of excellence in health, empowering the constituents to be more productive and dynamic thereby contributing to the progress of the municipality.

Health delivery includes the whole spectrum of care, from promotion and prevention to diagnostic, rehabilitation, and palliative care, including self-care. All made possible because of the availability and accessibility of health facilities, health personnel, ample medicines and supplies, efficient use of meager resources, and time. Project Champions for Health “EU” focuses on enriching the lives of the many by utilizing resources that are efficient and effective. This was conceived through the initiative of the Local Chief Executive through the Municipal Health Office to bring health services to the community, not in the confines of the four corners of the facility. It is health promotion, primary care service delivery, through quality services, and multi-stakeholder participation in support for health. It is in its form a universal health care spectrum with a functional health service delivery system all for the people in the community.

Incorporated in Project EU is to provide 24/7 access to health services especially for maternal and child care. The San Jose Maternal Clinic provides a 24/7 birthing facility, accredited by PHIC in the Maternity Care Package and Newborn Care Package. The San Jose EMS (Emergency Medical Services) ferries/attends to patients 24/7 of every barangay of San Jose de Buenavista. Project EU is aligned with two of the global Sustainable Development Goals: SDG No. 2: Zero Hunger to reduce, if not eradicate, hunger through its supplementary feeding program; and SDG No. 3: Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. Significant strides have been made so far in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common killers associated with child and maternal mortality. Major progress has been made on increasing access to clean water and sanitation from 95.97% to 100%, zero-malaria case, tuberculosis detection rate from 90.57% to 117%, zero-polio case, and the spread of HIV/AIDS from 21 cases to 37 cases. However, many more efforts are needed to fully eradicate a wide range of diseases and address many different persistent and emerging health issues.

It started last December 11, 2016, in celebration of St. Anthony’s College Antique Alumni Association of St. Anthony’s College in San Jose, Antique. The beneficiaries of the said project were the people of Brgy. 8, San Jose de Buenavista, Antique. Services given to them were: screening for diabetes through fasting blood sugar, cataract screening, breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, NCD screening through BP check-up and BMI determination, medical check-up, feeding program and bloodletting, dental check-up, chiro manipulation therapy, and electrocardiogram screening. With the partnership of the school, alumni association, barangay, and the local government unit, such activity was cascaded to the remaining barangays in the municipality, monthly, up to the present.

Background and Problem

The municipality has three major health challenges. These are teenage pregnancy, HIV-AIDS, and low blood donation. The deep dive done on the pregnant teenager who is also a victim of abuse has propelled the LGU to make sure that delivery of health services and all its aspects should be sustained, improved, and efficiently managed. Since San Jose is a vulnerable class ‘’A’’ municipality for HIV-AIDS, efforts for HIV-AIDS need to be sustained too, despite having an HIV proficient Medical Technologist. The municipality also has a very low blood donation ratio, a persistent challenge throughout the years.

Aside from these three major challenges, there are other conditions that compound people’s health conditions. These are poor community participation, decreasing rate of vaccination on preventable diseases among infants and children, and poor health-seeking behavior. These conditions may perhaps be brought about by very poor community awareness on health programs and services, especially of the vulnerable population located in the far-flung areas of the municipality.

For most, it is an ordinary thing to go to the doctor when sick or in need of treatment, something easily taken for granted. Access to life-saving medicines isn’t even an option. Some families literally save their money for years just to be able to see a doctor or specialist. The vulnerable groups are unable to gain access to quality health services due to inaccessibility to barangay health stations and poor socio-economic status. To replicate the Rural Health Unit services in Barangay Health Stations, Project EU was created to deliver quality health care services closer to their homes.

Solution and Impact

Health has been one of the priority projects upon the entry of the Local Chief Executive of San Jose de Buenavista. Henceforth, the Municipal Health Officer was tasked to conceptualize a health project that will bring these basic services closer to the people. A  medical mission shall be included in the municipal health office budget that should be given to all barangays on a monthly basis, to reach all the 28 barangays of the municipality.

The LGU has been preparing its investments in all programs/projects/activities yearly. Health is one part of social services that directly involves service delivery to the grassroots, especially the poor. Thus, this deserves a well-thought plan and investments for the continuity and sustainability of identified PPAs. Taking into consideration the situation of each health facility scattered along with strategic areas of the municipality, the health situation of this population and the actual accomplishments are the basis for the monitoring and evaluation of each identified program in relation to the allotted budget proposed in the plan. Innovations for each program thrusts make the plan friendlier and more applicable to the situation of the municipality.

Monitoring is done through the review of accomplishment for programs, and data validation is done on a monthly, quarterly to a semi-annual and annual basis. Consultations, conferences, meetings with stakeholders are done to answer almost specific issues that arose in program implementation. Contributing to the Philippine Development Plan Strategic Outcome on Inequality-Reducing Transformation (“Pagbabago”) by Reducing Vulnerability of Individuals and Families, Project Kadarag-an “EU” reduces the physical burden of the people especially in far-flung places making improvements on their health and functioning thus reducing their vulnerability to the risk of unsafe health and wellbeing. The LGU Scorecard has been used to assess the health status annually of the progress of health reform implementation at the local level. The indicators in the scorecard are stratified instruments of Kalusugan Pangkalahatan.

More sensitive, open, and understanding vaccination of elder persons, care for malnourished children, and “Usapan” for pregnant women are needed. Maternal mortality signifies the vulnerability of mothers during their pregnancy delivery and post-delivery. This connotes multifactorial factors that are inherent to the mother and child during pregnancy, the facilities to where the pregnant mother went, the health workers who took care of the mother as well as other factors like the family and community to assist the pregnant mother in this phase of life.

More resilient- not forgotten is the President’s agenda for Drug Abuse Prevention through sustaining the community-based Rehabilitation Program for new surrenderer and to follow-up or do aftercare programs for the graduates. Another thrust that has come up in the municipal meetings is the increasing or sustained cases of Violence among women and children and the municipal GAD plan will not be attributions but actual plans with financial appropriation to complete the package for implementation.

One of the Sendai Framework’s 7 Global Targets is to substantially reduce global disaster mortality by 2030, aiming to lower the average per 100,000 global mortality rate in the decade 2020-2030 compared to the period 2005-2015. Considering the health situation and the different needs of the population at different levels, Consultation with the involvement of key stakeholders (non-health sector, special population) resulted in a more profound and realistic health plan that shall be the basis of operation for 2019

The Municipal Health Office has utilized the (FHSIS) Field Health Services Information System as the Main Source of health information from the community and the Hospital Statistical Reports and Local Civil Registrars Record for deaths and births. Likewise, the health indices for 2017 are another source with the LGU Scorecard of San Jose de Buenavista for 2018. Reports from environmental sanitation as to toilet facilities and water supplies reports from the Operation Timbang for 0-72 months old; reports of the Social Hygiene Clinic for STIs and other infectious diseases, and to include reports from the STC/PMDT of the municipality. Consolidation of the activities of Project EU through its persons served also became part of the basis for budget and priority activities. The Philippine Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response for Notifiable Disease and Event-Based Surveillance for other health events, serve as a basis in the Epidemiology of the Province.

Milestones

Plan development for health requires a lot of components for it to be materialized. There should be the establishment of Membership of the core Local Investment Plan for Health planning team, Consideration of health situation and needs of different levels, Consultation with the involvement of key stakeholders (Non-health sector, Special population) and Harmonization plan synchronization, integration by LGU, DOH Regional Office and other partners.

Last year there was an expansion of the Local Health Board as a result of the Municipal Leadership and Governance Program (MLGP); several stakeholders were added to the list of the Local Health Board and Executive Order of the Local Chief Executive. The Expanded Local Health Board is chaired by the Municipal Mayor and its Members include the Municipal Health Officer, DOH Representative, Chairman of the SP Committee on Health, and one Non-Government Organization Representative. Furthermore, members of the Expanded LHB also participated in the re-echoing of the Municipal Health System Strengthening Program or MHSSP Module that resulted in more productive and enthusiastic members.