Community Immersion: Courtesy call to Brgy. Tomoaong, OperationTuli

The completion of Data and courtesy call were the major activities that I conducted today. Aside from the said purpose I also helped the nurses for the preparation of the Operation tuli. The idea of going to the barangays joining the MHO team for the operation tuli is to surely meet the barangay captain to conduct courtesy call. It was 7:40 am when when left the RHU. It was my first time to ride on an ambulance. We were all laughing inside as they all find a spree to laugh. We reached the area at 8:00 am and immediately unload the things we have. As the registration started I saw the barangay captain but I really find the perfect timing to talk to him. I nodded at him and greeted him as he was really working on with other matters. Hours passed and the situation was not so busy. I approached him and introduced myself. I ask for a short talk and we sat. A small office table in between us. I presented the project and its background. He was listening first and he began to ask questions. I answered very politely and though there are times that I was really out of pace, I glanced on the card that I was holding. After a short talk, one of the councilors ushered me to the barangay hall and introduced me to the secretary. I politely asked for records and other related data that the barangay has. The secreatary was so accommodating. She really had a great tie talking to me and entertained me. Hopefully the data was nearly completed before lunch. We shared together a delicious lunch and it was the first time I taste "Lolot" a chiken recipe that is cooked with lots of lamas including herbal plant "herba buena". The smell was good and the taste is excellent. This is one thing that I like about being with these people because I get to know different delicacies and recipes that I have never eaten before.

 

I continued the data gathering until 3 pm. I went back to the BHS where they are about to finish the last batch of children who will undergo circumcision. I helped assisted them and talked to some of the parents in the area. I accquainted people of different age.

Persons met:

Brgy Capt.: Hon. Ricky A. Magdipig

Brgy Sec.: Nelia M. Magculia

Brgy. Kgd.: Romel T. Caugmoc

 

Challenges and Problems Encountered

The challenge was to get the data from the Brgy. Midwife because she was busy preparing the snacks, food, and other  needs of the nurses and volunteers. I approached her about the data about 1 hour before we went home. Sadly, the 2014 data was lost and under recovery, However, I asked for the 2015 RHIS form and scannned it. I got nothing but a bunch of numbers ready for updating. Hehehe

Reflection:

For how many days that I been having a great time with the staff of the RHU I came to realize how hard it is for a person to really get to know each other if you have a weak personality. I appreciate he fact that there needs to have a bunch of experience and knowledge in order for you to go along with them because there are times that you need to share also your thoughts, your idea about a certain topic. But most of all the most important thing I learned about today's activity is that, we need to talk to people sincerely, our inner feelings and the way how we look at things imperfectly.

Basic Steps Towards Global Development

Days became hours as to minutes became seconds. My adventure and breath taking experiences have been so amazing. I can see myself enjoying every single event that happened for the last month. There were things that have been in my mind for days that I know could help me in this field. As a community organizer, I am very happy that there will be new faces, new group of people who will be part of my life, new set of problems to face and new success to strive for excellence.

It is glad to know that once again I will be involved with the people from the regional down to the barangay level that will help us hand in hand in delivering the project. Tuberculosis has been a problem to developing communities and there have a pragmatic decline in detection and cure rate based on the Philippine Target Plan on TB control. Therefore, a project Innovations and Multi-sectoral Partneships To Achieve Contro on Tuberculosis (IMPACT) funded by the United StatesAgency for International Development (USAID) was established to intensify the case findings to increase the detection and the cure rate. With the Philippine Businessfor Social Progress (BPSP) an agency entrusted by the said funder to deliver the project. The Technical Assistance Providers (TAP’s) happened to be the sub-contractor of the PBSP for proper implementation of the said project.

Davao MedicalSchool Foundation, Inc. (DMSFI) is one of the NGO’s who will help realize the said project. An institution located at Davao City that caters medical courses with a hospital and the Institute of Primary Health Care (IPHC). The IPHC responsible for giving humanitarian and primary health services to the community for over 30 years. DMSF took the challenge to become the sub-contractor of the PBSP. The school’s representatives have been attending Trainings and Seminars initiated by the said contractor.

The recently concluded Training of Trainers was a starting point towards the achievement of the project. The DMSF participated the said activity held on March 11-13, 2015 at Bayleaf Hotel, Intramuros, Manila. Six participants including the Project Manager, Cynthia Manlapus and five Community Organizers enjoyed the whole experience. Among the topics discussed was the Basic Facts about TB, The Revised Manual of Procedure and the Training and Facilitation. A demonstration of the topics on training of CBO’s was presented by every participating NGO’s; RIT/JATA, PHANSUP, WESADEF, KINASANG-AN and DMSF.

On March 24, 2015 a closed door meeting with the Area Coordinator Sharlene April  Jalandra and the DMSF IMPACT Team was conducted to formally initiate the plan and primary tasks. The DMSF team will be introduced by the area coordinator to the Provincial Health Office of Davao Oriental on March 25, 2015 at Mati City. The said activity is expected to have outputs, this includes the name of municipalities that will be covered by the project and determining existing Community Based Organizations.

           On the 25th of March the Team Mindanao for IMPACT project headed to Mati City for a courtesy call. Spearheded by Dr. Ted Yu, Team Leader for Mindanao together with the Project Management Corrdinator of IPHC and DMSF's IMPACT project head, Cynthia Manlapus. A short but meaty conversation commenced during the meeting. The tentative areas are municipalities of Baganga, Taragona, Caraga, Cateel, Boston, Manay. These municipalities will be the pilot areas. One of the things that was set during the meeting was the upcoming Courtesy call to the Governeor of Davao Oriental and the Provicial Orientation to be attended by the Municipal Mayors, Nurses, PHO staff and other medical practitioners of the province.

I will give you updates on the next day entry of my blog. Thank you so much!

Innovations and Multi-Sectoral Partnerships to Achieve Control of Tuberculosis (IMPACT)

Days passed but I didn’t noticed that my training is about to end. On March 10 my OJT period will end fortunately. It simply means that I will step up to the next level. It is glad to know that I survived. As of now I am preparing myself for a training that will be held at the Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros, Manila on 11^th until 13^th of March. Reports and other documents are submitted before we travel.

Innovations and Multi-Sectoral Partnerships to Achieve Control of Tuberculosis (IMPACT) is a project that will be delivered by the Institute of Primary Health Care of Davao Medical School Foundation, Inc. This project was funded by the USAID to address the pragmatic decline in the number of reached by TB education, presumptive TB cases identified and referred to health centers, presumptive TB cases referred and submitted for sputum exam, presumptive TB cases who have completed the 2 sputum examination, presumptive TB cases identified as New Sputum Positive (NSP) TB, TB All Forms diagnosed, NSP cases who have started treatment with community volunteers as treatment partners, NST cased cured and cases of TB All Forms diagnosed and undergoing treatment. The ultimate output of this project is to Increasethe Case Detection Rate (CDR) and Cure Rate (CR) of the Local Government Units attributable to increased (minimum of 10%) referrals from the Community-Based Organizations.

Through the coordination of the Community-based Organizations (CBO’s) to the Rural Health Units (RHU’s) the project hoped to continue for another 3 years based on the one year term evaluation of the funding agency reported by the Community Service Unit (CSU) of the DMSFI. However, Community organizers like me is now preparing for the said training. I’ve done research on Tuberculosis in the Philippines. As of now the Department of Health through its National Tuberculosis Program find ways on how these existing TB DOTS facilities are accessed by the presumptive cases. With the close coordination of the Local Government Units it is believed to be realized.

Through Philippine Business for Social Progress (BPSP) as the contractor the project will be initiated o the provinces that have been detected with the high cases of TB. The contractor (BPSP) coordinated the NGO's or the Technical Assistance Providers (TAP's) to deliver the project. These TAP's are considered to be the sub-contractors responsible for the delivery of the said project. The DMSF-IPHC is one of the Technical Assistance Provider that will cover 6 Municipalities in Davao Oriental with 4 barangay per assignment.

Since this project (IMPACT) is new, a training will be conducted to capacitate the community organizers and project heads for proper delivery of the project to target municipalities of Davao Oriental. I am very grateful to be part of the said project because aside from opportunities of traveling places and communities, it will also open my horizon in meeting new people and new experiences.