A meeting with representatives of the Municipal Planning and Development Council (MPDC) and Rural Health Unit (RHU) of Tabuelan was conducted with the staff of the Visayas Primary Healthcare Services, Inc. on September 1, 2020. They included Ganny T. Encallado, municipal engineer, Coleen J. Genterolizo, engineering assistant, Vincent C. Comoros, staff of the vice-mayor’s office, and Gerra Lahaylahay, public health nurse. Project staff Irish Grace Ramirez and Lucila Carreon represented VPHCS.
The first agenda was the installation of handwashing facilities to be funded by the project supported by the United States Agency for International Development. Ms. Ramirez provided the LGU personnel with a copy of the pamphlet “Concept Designs of Handwashing Facilities: Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growh with Equity (SURGE) Project,” of April 15, 2020, of the USAID. This pamphlet has the designs of the handwashing stand – Model A and Foot Pedaled Handwashing Stand – Model B which will be installed in the municipality. The stations are the public market in Barangay Poblacion and the Tabuelan seaport in Barangay Poblacion.
Engineer Encallado saw examples of the designs of the models. He said that his office will look for locations in the abovementioned areas which have easy access to sources of water and where many people will pass by. They will send pictures of the locations to the VPHCS email. They will also estimate the cost of the pipes that will have to be installed and the distance to the water source.
The second agenda concerned the setting of a temporary treatment and monitoring facility ((TTMF) in the municipality. Ms. Lahaylahay said that at present the municipality does not have a TTMF. At present patients who are positive for COVID-19 are placed in home quarantine.
The RHU is exploring an area for a TTMF to be proposed to the office of the mayor. It was seen that the area has a difficult access of water but the RHU thought of sending a fire truck every week to supply water for the proposed TTMF area. It is the RHU that is mandated to set up a TTMF with the approval of the mayor.
The RHU of Tabuelan at present has no MHO. Dr. Jose Rodriguez, a former director of the DOH Region VII in the 1990’s is the present consultant in the RHU.
