Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Public - Private Mix launches:Eliminate Tuberculosis, "You are the Cure"

by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, July 4 (PIA)....."Today we are here at the Paradise Hotel. Our presence speaks of our personal, professional and organizational representation and statement for advocacy to be strong partners and ally  in the implementation of this province-wide Public-Private Mix (PPM) Initiative Launching and Memorandum of Understanding Signing in the eradication of tuberculosis", Dr. Chito Avelino said in his message.

Addressing a hundred of participants during the opening of the program launch here last Friday, the PPM kicked off with a very colorful motorcade around the business center of Sorsogon City.

Led by the Department of Health  (DOH) RO 5, Dr. Myrna Listanco, coordinator of the program  said that this activity has been significantly supported by the provincial government of Sorsogon with the  full cooperation of almost all government line agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private sector.

 The thrust , eradicate primarily tuberculosis.

"This is one of the global targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sorsogon has been a pilot in the implementation of the program specially the assistance provided to the City of Sorsogon", she said.

According to Listanco,  public and private mix initiative  has been successful in pursuing strong partnership to support the Aquino Health Agenda (AHA) specially in the universal implementation of the PhilHealth registration which focuses on providing proper public health priority as the main health agenda.

PPM likewise according to Avelino is the best strategy to enjoin everyone to be a carer of one's health and in the same manner be aware of one's role to help others too.

PPM focuses on engaging all stakeholders in basic communities to strategise, come up with both national and local means on the best possible means of early detection, reporting, validating  and recommending patients for treatment found out to have tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis  if early detected can be cured easily. Government provides free medical treatment including medicines, Avelino explained.

The  intensified activity launched through the MOU signing will also open avenues for critical roles of agencies to support through their mandates., Avelino stated.

"Tuberculosis today is no longer a dreaded disease", Dr. Edgar Garcia, provincial health officer of the Sorsogon Provincial Hospital (PHO) explained in his message.

The PHO according to him through the intensified campaign of all health workers in the province down to the farthest barangays has made this program alive , well-organized and  supported.

"With the PPM, we are emerging as one global community .We engage everyone to join hands in supporting this program .Let us help in the information dissemination, provide right education, conduct fora and say that everyone is responsible to become a cure", Garcia said.

Sorsogon is the 3rd province who also organized the Public-Private Mix Coordinating Council (PPMCC) , that plans the systematized way of implementing the tuberculosis  eradication  program.

"As key players, let us state a clear policy in the critical factors of identifying our significant roles as we signify each one's commitment and  affixing one's signature in the MOU  and  individually saying , "You are the cure". Garcia expressed. (PIA-SORSOGON)

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