SORSOGON PROVINCE TO IMPLEMENT SPEED

SORSOGON PROVINCE – Dr. Soe Nyunt-u, World Health Oraganization Country Representative to the Philippines served as the Keynote Speaker in the just concluded Surveillance in Post Extreme Emergencies and Disaster (SPEED) Advocacy Forum held last January 13, 2011 at Hotel Ellis, Legazpi City.

”Today’s challenge is to expose local government executives and local health workers to respond immediately in the immediate, effecient and accurate reporting and the gathering of data from the grass roots level in different barangays affected by calamities so that fast intervention can be provided”  according to Dr. Nyunt-u.

The Deparment of Health (DOH) with technical assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO) has instituted a high-tech and post-disaster surveillance tool called SPEED.

SPEED, which is the acronym for the surveillance in Post Extreme Emergencies and Disasters, aims to provide immediate information and data that will help decision-makers and health workers to correctly and accurately respond to illness and injuries after disasters or emergencies. It is an early warning and response tool making use of technology like mobile phones and the internet for fast and urgent reporting.

All local government executives comprising of mayors in the Bicol Region were present during the advocacy forum to provide them the basic operational knowledge on how SPEED can be a proactive tool  to respond to post disaster emergencies.

The Province of Sorsogon has received a two million assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO), according to former Gov. Sally Ante Lee in the establishment of its Health Emergency Management Staff Office (HEMS) to address  concerns in terms of disaster.

”Through the establisment of HEMS we can address the early detection of potential disease outbreaks and monitor trends of priority health conditions,”according to Lee.

This coming January 26-27, two health workers together with one information technician in every municipality in the Province will undergo a two-day training on the SPEED implementation.

I.A. Guhit – PIA Sorsogon