CEBU, Philippines — To strengthen the barangay health center services, the Cebu City government is tapping the resident physicians of a private hospital to help train the barangay health workers.
The Cebu City Council has authorized Mayor Michael Rama to sign and enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Perpetual Succour Hospital for the training of the hospital's resident doctors in the different barangay health centers in the city.
Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera sponsored a resolution on the matter after receiving a letter from the City Health Department (CHD) requesting for a resolution to allow the mayor to enter an agreement with the said hospital.
The Board of Trustees of the said hospital has also authorized Sister Zeta Caridad Rivero to represent the hospital.
Pesquera said the City Legal Office (CLO), in Contract Review Reference No. 2022-059 APB series of 2022, finds the contents of the proposed MOA in accordance with the law, and not contrary to morals, good customs, public order or public policy.
Per the MOA, the city government is strengthening its barangay health center services to promote maternal health care, prenatal consultation, identification and management of high risk-pregnancy and child care, among others.
Meanwhile, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Perpetual Succour Hospital, through the Committee of Community Service, aims to conduct regular lectures to midwives and other barangay health caregivers as an opportunity for its resident doctors in training to share their knowledge to their fellow healthcare workers and develop their skills in communication and patient care in a community setting and become partners with the city in fostering women's health in the community.
Among the responsibilities of the city government is to provide information and/or data necessary to identify which barangays need and can be most benefited by the lectures and knowledge sharing to be given by the resident doctors of the hospital.
While, the hospital is responsible for the provisions to ensure the safety, welfare, and security of the deployed resident doctors including, but not limited to COVID-19 testing of deployed resident doctors as per existing Department of Health (DOH) guidelines.
The Agreement shall enter into force upon signing of the parties and be in effect until amended or terminated by either party for justifiable causes by serving a 15-day-notice on the other party. Any amendment to the MOA shall be made in writing and with the consent of both parties. — FPL (FREEMAN)