To help break the chain of possible local transmission of the feared coronavirus disease, special teams from the province of Davao Oriental have been trained for COVID-19 contact tracing.
Dr. Raquel Montejo, one of the resource speakers from the DOH Region XI, said that the goals of systematic contact tracing are to interrupt ongoing transmission, reduce the spread of infection, alert close contacts to the possibility of infection, ensure timely referral for management and care, and establish epidemiological link or track the sources of infection.
During the training, the participants were given the updated guidelines on how to trace the contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases as per DOH Memorandum Number 0189. They were also given an orientation on the systematic approach in contact tracing investigation.
Dr. Reden Bersaldo, Incident Commander of Provincial Task Force on COVID-19 said that through the training, the province will be able to institutionalize contact tracing teams in the local government units.
“We have already led a contact tracing team during the occurrence of three positive cases in the province but it’s better if we institutionalize fully-equipped local contact tracing teams down to our local government units. Participants of this training are expected to re-echo what they have learned to their respective LGUs,” Dr. Bersaldo said, adding that each LGU will have its contact tracing team to be headed by the municipal or city health officer.
Among the training’s participants were the municipal and city health officers, chiefs of police, epidemiological surveillance officers and other frontliners from Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
The training which was facilitated by the Provincial Health Office in partnership with the Department of Health Region XI (DOH XI) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) was conducted to equip the LGUs while the province is currently rolling out its risk testing to all COVID-19 suspects and members of other vulnerable groups.
“Although we don’t have any positive case for almost three months, it is best that we do not let our guards down,” said Dr. Bersaldo, noting that should there be a positive case among those who were tested, the LGUs are now equipped to trace all the contacts of the patient.
Meanwhile, Dr. Montejo emphasized the need to adopt the whole of government approach must in doing contact tracing. “That is why this shall be led now by the Local Epidemiological Surveillance Office of respective local government units to be co-chaired by the Philippine National Police.”
Police Captain Nelson Hernandez of CIDG XI encouraged his fellow contact-tracers to have extra patience, perseverance, understanding and humility in talking with people who were exposed to positive patients.
“We can fight COVID19 together. The key here is to listen and cooperate; listen to the advisories of the government and cooperate with them because the virus emanates from the community,” PCPT Hernandez said on an interview. By Van Jorain O. Rufin