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- Written by OPAV PIA
- Category: News
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Here’s good news on the testing capacity of both Eastern and Western Visayas.
Eastern Visayas no longer has any backlog on COVID-19 test results, Regional Director Minerva Molon of the Department of Health (DOH) in Eastern Visayas reported during the Mugstoria Ta aired live Monday to Friday at 1 p.m. on the Facebook page of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas.
According to Molon, Region 8 has two testing centers, one of which is the government-run Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in Tacloban City.
The other testing center is located at the Divine Word Hospital also in Tacloban City. Both hospitals are capable of conducting Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
“We can still cope (with the testing demand) and we don’t have backlogs,” Molon pointed out.
The EVRMC laboratory, which opened on May 11, has conducted 2,155 tests as of Friday last week, Molon revealed.
On the other hand, the Divine Word Hospital could conduct two testing runs per day, ranging from 90 to 150 tests, she added.
However, she added that they have to prepare for the testing requirements of all incoming residents, who have to undergo swab tests.
They have 4,600 detection kits available but they have requested for more kits from the governors and mayors of two cities, Molon said. So far, Biliran has committed to provide 40 testing kits, she said.
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- Written by EVHRDC
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TACLOBAN CITY, June 3 – To ensure continuity of programs and services amid Covid-19 pandemic, the Eastern Visayas Health Research and Development Consortium (EVHRDC) has started the conduct of meetings among its member institutions during the months of April and May.
The activities are part of the consortium’s commitment in pursuit to produce research outputs and other related concerns that would help improve the health conditions of the region’s populace.
Considering that the consortium is composed of different committees whose members come from various institutions all over the region, regular sharing of insights, plans and other concerns were mostly done through virtual meetings.
This is among the precautionary measures imposed to avoid transmission of the disease while the country is currently experiencing the health crisis and community quarantine being implemented in the different localities.
The EVHRDC as spearheaded by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), is consortium that serves as a venue for inter-agency efforts geared towards health advancement and stability.
The consortium is composed of five (5) working committees namely: Ethics Review Committee (ERC), Research Management Committee (RMC), Capacity Building Committee (CBC), Research Utilization Committee (RUC); the Structure, Organization, Monitoring, and Evaluation Committee (SOME).
For the Ethics Review Committee, it has checked during the meeting on the five (5) new and continuing research protocols that required ethical clearance for the conduct of the study. The committee has also revisited the WFP for the year and identified activities that either need to be pushed through or be cancelled based on the current COVID-19 situation, among others.
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ERC Virtual and Physical Meeting for the 2nd Full Review of protocols on May 12, 2020 at the DOST8 Conference Room and via Zoom Conference. The committee members observed physical distancing and wearing of face masks. |
The Research Management Committee on the other hand has tackled possible strategies in conducting the identified activities given the current status. It has also reviewed three capsule proposals and seven terminal reports on completed funded projects.
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| 1st Quarter RMC Meeting on May 13, 2020 via Cisco Webex |
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| 2nd Quarter RMC Virtual and Physical Meeting on May 21, 2020 at the DOST8 Conference Room and via Cisco Webex. The committee members observed physical distancing and wearing of face masks. |
While the Capacity Building Committee has discussed the revised Work and Financial Plan, it has also dealt with the list of collaborative projects for submission to the Philippine Center for Health Research and Development or PCHRD. These include the trainings on Critiquing of Proposals for Trainer on Basic Research Methods, Basic Research Methods Training (Phase 2), and the Writeshop on the Finalization of Terminal Reports for completed research projects.
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| 1st Quarter CBC Meeting via Zoom Conference on April 30, 2020 |
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| 2nd Quarter CBC Meeting via Zoom Conference on April 30, 2020 |
On the other hand, the use and possible subscription of the Webinar platform for the conduct of identified activities, was decided during the virtual meeting of the Research Utilization Committee. These include the dissemination of completed researches, orientation on the HERDIN Plus database system, and the conduct of the regular Regional Health Research Symposium where some researchers regionwide compete on the Oral Research Paper Presentation and Exhibit of Posters.
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| RUC 1st Quarter Meeting on May 6, 2020 via Zoom Conference | RUC 2nd Quarter Meeting on May 13, 2020 via Facebook Messenger |
The Structure, Organization, Monitoring, and Evaluation Committee has focused on the revision of the work and financial plan as well as the plans for the mid-year and year-end assessments, among the urgent concerns.
Other important discussions were held at the Department of Science and Technology, while strictly observing mandated health protocols. (GTT/PIA-Leyte).
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| SOME 1st Quarter Meeting Via Zoom on May 8, 2020 |
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| SOME 2nd Quarter Meeting Via Google Meet on May 19, 2020 |
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- Written by John Paul Roca, DOH RO8
- Category: News
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Press Release / May 15, 2020
Department of Health- Eastern Visayas received today the results of 156 sample specimens tested at Eastern Visayas Regional COVID-19 Testing Center (EVRTC).
Of the 156 sample specimen tested, four (4) turned positive (Patient EV-21 to EV-24) and these are all from Tarangnan, Samar. The new confirmed cases are the close contacts of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the area.
The new four confirmed cases are Patient EV-21, is a 42 year-old, male; Patient EV-22 is a 63 year-old, male; Patient EV-23 is a 18 year-old, female and Patient EV-24 is a 21 year-old female.
Patient EV-21, EV-23 and EV-24 will be brought to the identified local Community Isolation Unit for medical assessment and isolation while Patient EV-22 will be referred to the Samar Provincial Hospital since he belong to the vulnerable group.
Community transmission has been continuing in Tarangnan, Samar for a month already and the cases continue to rise as mass testing was conducted. A non-pharmaceutical intervention such as setting-up of community isolation unit for the suspects, observing social distancing and staying at home must strongly be enforced to interrupt the ongoing transmission and reduce the spread of infection.
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- Written by Gemma T. Tabao, PIA08
- Category: News
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TACLOBAN CITY, June 3 (PIA) -- The Commission on Population and Development – Regional Office 8 (POPCOM-8) has started the assessment of demographic vulnerability of communities to COVID-19, which is aimed at providing additional information and technical guidance to national and local agencies through demographic variables.
The assessment is significant in the planning, implementation and monitoring of pandemic response at various levels.
During the Regional Population Executive Board (RPEB) meeting held on May 29 in Tacloban City, it was learned that the demographic vulnerability pertains to the demographic characteristics of population that may cause or enhance the exposure or possibility of individuals to be infected with the communicable disease.
The vulnerability assessment used demographic tables, included key indicators such as population density, household size and density, number of senior citizens and their living arrangement and, localities with demographic vulnerability.
Ms. Linsie Arteche of POPCOM said, “Through this tool, priority groups and areas for relief operations are determined, as well as the type and quantity of the needed support. Proper location of quarantine sites is likewise identified.”
The undertaking, Arteched said, is premised on the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2020-01 or “Assessing the Demographic Vulnerabilities of Communities and Households to COVID-19 Infections in Planning and Implementing Efficient Pandemic Response at the Local and Community Levels.”
Issued last April 17, 2020, the JMC was signed by Secretaries Francisco Duque of the Department of Health (DOH), Eduardo Año of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Ernesto Pernia of the Socio-Economic Planning and the Executive Director of the Commission on Population and Development, Juan Antonio Perez III.
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- Written by Jamie Faith De Veyra, VSU
- Category: News
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VSU students and alumni organized an initiative to raise funds to produce alternative personal protective equipment for frontliners and other vulnerable groups.
Tabang PH, a civic engagement group formed by Viscans Jamie Faith De Veyra, Felix John Amestoso, Allen Glenn Gil, Kit Felian Tenio, Trishia Jade Acilo, and Weneline Balena initiated fundraising to produce alternative PPEs.
This is to cover for the shortage of PPEs as the world battles to stem the spread of novel coronavirus.
“The mortality rate of healthcare workers in the Philippines is very high. We feel like a factor for this is the shortage of PPEs. You see in the news that a lot of nurses and doctors are making use of trash bags as alternative protection. This is why we wanted to focus on making PPEs like masks, face shields, and sanitizers,” Amestoso said.
Felix John Amestoso, a science research assistant in VSU ITEEM - Marine Laboratory, leads the team in Baybay City.
“There are also plenty of people who do not have the privilege to stay in their homes. There is also the skeleton workforce, for example, who are called to go out of the safety of their own homes to keep the economy going. We saw a lot of them did not even have face masks. Providing these people with makeshift protective gear, we are slowing down or preventing the spread of the virus.”
He emphasized the word “makeshift” to acknowledge that the PPEs will not necessarily be on-par with medical-grade protective gear but in the words of healthcare workers themselves: it’s better than nothing.
The makeshift PPE is the best, if not only, option for many people.
“The sanitizer, face mask, and shield are deliberate. The face mask is meant to be paired with a face shield so as to be an additional layer of protection and with that the sanitizers to keep your hands clean.”
“You can go around with a face mask and shield but it seems utterly useless if your hands are dirty.”
Tabang PH has teams in Tacloban City, Baybay City, Ormoc City, Matalom, and Albuera in Leyte, as well as the towns of Libagon and Sogod in Southern Leyte. Each team functions independently of the other with the common goal: help protect frontliners, protect the community.
The team struggled to put themselves together in the beginning. The community quarantine limited their mobility. With many establishments closing, delaying procurement of materials in towns like Tacloban City. There is also the group being unofficial.
