Magalong has ordered the creation of additional Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) to augment existing teams in carrying out Covid-19 control measures in their communities.
In Administrative Order 101, s. 2020, the mayor directed barangays to organize one BHERT for every 1,000 residents with each team to be composed of an executive officer, one barangay tanod or purok leader, and one other member who may be a barangay health worker, barangay nutrition action officer, or barangay nutrition scholar.
Magalong said this is in compliance with Department of Health Administrative Order 2020-0016 dated May 4 prescribing Minimum Health System Capacity Standards for Covid-19 preparedness and response strategies.
The order mandates highly urbanized cities like Baguio to ensure that the standards are met. Among these is that highly urbanized cities must have one active BHERT for every 1,000 individuals.
The mayor last February ordered the creation of a minimum of one BHERT for every barangay with a qualification that additional ones may be formed in barangays with population that exceeds 5,000.
“To comply with the current minimum health capacity standards, there is a need to reorganize the composition of active BHERTs in each barangay so that we can effectively maintain and carry out standard preparedness mechanisms against Covid-19,” Magalong said.
He said the BHERTs may be augmented by physicians, nurses, midwives, sanitary inspectors, population officers, Bureau of Fire Protection staff, and City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office staff or volunteers.
He also directed the Special Services Division of the City Mayor’s Office to supervise the creation of the teams within this week. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
April 20, 2024
