Solon urges DOH to tap barangay health workers and civic groups for contact tracing

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Tuesday urged the Department of Health (DOH) to mobilize civil society organizations and tap around 400,000 barangay health workers and parent-leaders from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to accelerate contact tracing efforts against the coronavirus disease or COVID-19 pandemic.

In a letter to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Drilon suggested that the government starts tapping accredited organizations to be part of its COVID-19 efforts to combat COVID-19.

Drilon said the World Health Organization (WHO) itself noted the government’s slow contact tracing efforts to contain the spread of the disease.

“To help expedite contact tracing, I propose that we assemble and activate existing government-organized and accredited groups. We can easily tap the over 200,000 Barangay Health Workers (BHWs), 200,000 parent-leaders from the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program and members of DSWD-accredited Civil Society Organizations,” he said in his letter to Duque.

“Time is of the essence and we must act expeditiously. Tapping the above workers and leaders can save us precious time and help us combat COVID-19 efficiently,” the senator said.

“Since they are already organized, they can be quickly mobilized as contact tracers,” he added.

Dr. Socorro Escalante, WHO acting representative, had earlier raised alarm over the country’s slow contact tracing efforts and stressed the need for the Philippines to “push harder” and “work harder.”

Drilon said the WHO is correct in saying that there is “a very short window of opportunity to improve the country’s contact-tracing system.”

Contact tracing, he said, should be expedited before the government eases the lockdown, most especially in Metro Manila.

The DOH should also provide transportation allowance and protective gears such as face shield and mask to the contact tracers.

Drilon said it is imperative that the government realizes the importance of tracking in containing the virus and winning the fight against the pandemic.

“Our objective to prevent the virus from spreading is based on our ability to efficiently identify the infected and notify those he or she has made contact with. Hence, contact tracing is a must and should never be neglected,” Drilon said. (Content reposted from: Manila Bulletin)

In photo: Senator Franklin Drilon (Photo from Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)