BACOLOD CITY – Negros Occidental’s provincial government is going digital for the effective and efficient delivery of health and emergency services to Negrenses.
To kick-start the 2021 National Disaster Resilience Month, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson led on Thursday the unveiling of the Digitizing Health and Emergency Management initiative, which integrates three services in a platform that can be accessed by officials and constituents in all the 31 local government units (LGUs) of the province.
“Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) changed the world and we are called to change accordingly; to act and adapt according to the necessity of the situation. We are taking not just a step, but a stride, in handling this crisis in an adept and consummate manner, with all the knowledge and resources available, and that includes technology,” Lacson said during the launching rites held at the Capitol Social Hall here.
Under the Digitizing Health and Emergency Management are three pillars of services – the Negros Occidental Emergency 911, the One Hospital Command, and the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Program (NOCHP).
A mobile application for all three services is also being developed by the Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center.
“Let us make the dissemination of this development widespread, the Negrenses need to know that in times of emergency, help is just a call away,” Lacson said.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said the provincial government digitized its health and emergency management system to harmonize all of the province’s health services.
“This is but fitting to launch all of these today as we celebrate our National Disaster Resilience Month,” he added.
The Negros Occidental Emergency 911, with a command center at the Panaad Park in this city, was established in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order 56, series of 2018, institutionalizing the Emergency 911 hotline as a nationwide emergency answering point.
The One Hospital Command will serve as the center of communications between referrals from one hospital into another and will also facilitate medical transport and patient pick-up arrangements, provide health system capacity, data analytics, risk communications, and optimize the use of critical care services of every hospital in Negros Occidental.
It can also receive referrals from first responders, such as Emergency 911 and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
The NOCHP, which aims to provide comprehensive health care, especially to indigent Negrosanons, entitles members and their qualified dependents to free outpatient care in participating government hospitals with yearly medical assistance of PHP5,000.
By accessing the online information system, beneficiaries will know the status of their benefits.
Through Digitizing Health and Emergency Management, the provincial government seeks to deliver efficient health services; effectively manage health services, resources, and manpower; and operationalize the patient referral system as required by the Universal Health Care Act, as well as give immediate response to all forms of emergencies; and foster collaboration and coordination between responders and the hospital management team
Source: Philippines News Agency
