CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – A Department of Health (DOH) top official in the Calabarzon Region has proposed to amend and upgrade the health indicators starting next year so that clients would be afforded better health services at the local government level.
“It is about time din na baguhin na ang mga indicators ng scorecard dahil napaka-program based ito. Kailangang baguhin at maglagay ng mas magandang indicator na mararamdaman ng mga tao na merong nangangalaga sa kanila (It is about time that we update the indicators in the scorecard because it is program-based. There is a need to change and institute better indicators where people would feel they are being cared for),” said Dr. Eduardo C. Janairo, DOH Calabarzon Regional Director.
Janairo said indicators would relieve the burden of health clients in looking for answers and immediate attention to their health needs and these new indicators should be implemented next year through the cooperation of the Local Government Units (LGUs), health workers and the DOH regional office.
The regional health office has conferred the top performing local chief executive award on Mayor Samuel Noel B. Ocampo of San Luis, Batangas along with LGU health performers in the Calabarzon Region comprising Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon during the awarding ceremony at the New World Manila Bay Hotel, Manila last Dec. 14.
The regional health office award recognizes outstanding local government unit (LGU) performers under the LGU Scorecard and Monitoring and Evaluation for Equity and Effectiveness (ME3).
Bagging the top local chief executive category, Ocampo joins other top LGU performers from Noveleta, Cavite; Pangil, Laguna; Tagaytay City, Cavite; San Mateo, Rizal; and Atimonan, Quezon.
For the provincial category, Laguna and Cavite emerged the top-performing provinces in the Calabarzon Region.
Janairo said the incentive award gives recognition to LGUs – the local chief executive and the local health officer – who have achieved the highest scores in the LGU health critical indicators.
He said the qualifying indicators for their achievement includes implementation of health programs in their community such as fully-immunized children, tuberculosis cure rate and facility-based delivery within the year.
“Makikita natin dito kung sino sa mga LGUs natin ang pinakamagaling, pinaka-accomplished, at may initiative na mabigyan ng magandang buhay ang kanilang mga kababayan lalo na sa larangan ng kalusugan (We can distinguish from this award our LGUs are outstanding, those who have fully accomplished and have the intitiative to provide a good life for their constituents especially in the field of health and wellness),” Janairo said.
According to the regional health office director, the ME3 is important because it measures and tracks the performance of the LGUs in implementing and achieving results desired for health sector reforms and in assessing progress as they achieve national health targets.
He expounded on the ME3 health strategy , which focuses on ensuring the achievement of health system’s goals through better health outcomes, fair health financing and responsive health systems, thus ensuring all Filipinos, especially the disadvantaged group to have equitable access to health care.
The award for the LGU Scorecard is one of the scorecards in the Monitoring and Evaluation for Equity and Effectiveness (ME3), as a performance yardstick on the combined efforts of stakeholders within the province-wide health system (PWHS).
The system includes clients and public-private providers within LGUs from municipal, city and provincial scope of the health service deliveries for their respective constituents.
ME3 is a tool to guide policy makers, program managers and stakeholders in the assessment of the benefits of health reform efforts in the community as indicated in the LGU’s Scorecard for Health.
Thus, this Scorecard is intended for tracking the performance of the LGUs in implementing and achieving results desired for health sector reforms spread through 80 provinces nationwide and 17 cities and municipality in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Awardees received their performance-based cash incentive of PHP 50,000 as financial support to sustain the implementation of their programs.
