Two batches of Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) of Tabuelan had a training “Strengthening of BHERTs capacity during COVID-19 pandemic” on September 8, 2020 and Oct. 19, 2020.
The training is part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) ReachHealth Project administered by the RTI International to provide technical assistance to the Local Government Units (LGUs) of Tabuelan, Bogo City, San Remigio and Medellin, in the implementation of various capacity-building activities to support community-based COVID-19 response to delay, contain the transmission of COVID-19, and mitigate the effects of the pandemic in their localities.
The training was organized by the Visayas Primary Healthcare Services, Inc. (VPHCS) which implements the COVID-19 response project.
One batch consisted of the BHERTs from the coastal barangays including Tabunok, Olivo, Tigbawan and Maravilla, which was held in the Tigbawan covered court. It had 27 participants.
The second batch training which was held in the Kanlim-ao covered court covered the upland barangays, including Kantubaon, Kanluhangon, Kanlim-ao, Mabunao, and Villahermosa. It had 43 participants.
Both batches were comprised of Nurse Deployment Project (NDP) nurses, Rural Health Midwives Placement Program (RHMPP), barangay health workers (BHWs), barangay captains, barangay councilors, barangay tanods and barangay nutrition scholars (BNS).
The topics for the first day on Sept. 8 covered the following, namely; basic information about COVID-19, policies regarding BHERTs, assessment of the functions of BHERTs, composition of BHERT, roles and functions of BHERT, forms to be filled up by the BHERTs regarding contacts, guidelines in conducting home visits for BHERTs, infection prevention and control (IPC), and risk communication and community engagement (RCCE). The topics for the second day on Oct. 19 covered gender-based violence, adolescents concerns and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
The resource persons and facilitators for the two trainings included Lora Manigos, Crescenciana Labitad, Lucila Carreon, Armel Pontillas, Irish Grace Ramirez, Jerhald Agcang and Lourdes Geolin. They are all staff members of the VPHCS.
The VPHCS coordinated with the Association of Barangay Councils under President Felix Rubin and the offices of the mayor and vice-mayor to organize the trainings.
