The Department of Health (DOH) together with Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will strengthen the role of Barangay Health Response Teams (BHERTs) to help boost the country's healthcare system up to the grassroots level.
"Napakalaki pong tungkulin ang ginagawa ng barangay health emergency response teams," DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said during the DOH Media forum on Monday, Oct. 5.
Malaya said they it is important that these teams be sustained to ensure they regularly function and able to render the necessary service to the public especially during time of emergencies.The DOH also cited the importance of BHERTs in the communities. There are 39,347 BHERTS all over the country as of August 20.
"Ang mga BHERT friends po natin ang pangunahing health defense sa ating community ngayong pandemic," DOH Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said.
The BHERTs are responsible for the home visits in search for COVID-19 active cases as well as the conduct contact tracing and monitoring for home-quarantine. They also refer patients to quarantine facility or treatment and monitory facility if they observed signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
"BHERTs are crucial in enhancing the Universal Health Care law which specifies that each home in the country must have one barangay health emergency response team assisting them," Vergeire said.
Vergeire added that BHERTs are tasked to provide immediate and proper emergency assistance and coordinate with the national government regarding the necessary health protocols.(PIA-NCR)
“Malaki po ang impact ng efforts ng DILG sa ating laban kontra COVID-19 lalong lalo na po alam po natin ang pinaka effective na measure sa COVID-19 is for us to bring down the response dito po sa pinaka-mababang antas o level ng ating gobyerno, and that is our barangays,” Vergeire said. (Photo and content reposted from PIA-NCR)
