Brgy health workers to get incentives from DOH

CEBU, Philippines - Over 600 barangay health workers in Cebu City were promised a performance incentive from the Department of Health in Region 7 for being the highest performing Local Government Unit or urbanized city in the achievement of the region-wide health related Millennium Development Goals.

Cebu City got the highest scores in the LGU scorecard critical indicators such as fully immunized children, tuberculosis cure rate and facility-based delivery which were all achieved through the help of BHWs deployed in Barangay Health Centers.

The Cebu City Barangay Health Workers Association will be the recipient of the DOH Support to BHW-Performance Based Incentives which amounts to P900,000.

It shall be divided among all accredited BHWs once the Memorandum of Agreement is signed between the city government and DOH-7.

Last week, the city council through Councilor Ronald Cuenco, chairman of the Committee on Hospital Services, Health and Sanitation, passed a resolution authorizing Mayor Michael Rama to enter into an agreement with the health department.

This shall recognize the efforts of the BHWs as community-based frontline volunteer workers whose roles as advocates, disseminators, educators and record keepers help the city ensure equity in terms of access to quality health services. Under the MOA, the DOH-Center for Health Development will take charge of the overall management of the transferred funds. It must obligate the funds and transfer it to the LGU before December 30 this year.

DOH-CHD will also conduct regular monitoring of the status of the implementation of the project.

As of 2009, 95 percent of children in Cebu City have been fully immunized.   (FREEMAN NEWS)