Extension Program Launches Project HEALS
Silliman through its Extension Program launched the Marina Mission Clinic (SUMMC) Health and Emergency Assistance and Life Support (H.E.A.L.S) Project on December 5 at Dauin, Negros Oriental.
Project H.E.A.L.S., per Prof. Emervencia L. Ligutom, Director for Extension, aims to organize a systematic procedure of health and emergency assistance and life support project at SUMMC that is linked to the barangays through the family health volunteers and barangay health workers by means of mobile phones.
According to Silliman President Dr. Ben S. Malayang III, the SUMMC should be looked at as a clinic with the community. “The idea should be that the clinic should not only be a part of the community but the community itself is part of the clinic.”
During the launch, SMART Communications, Inc., SUMMC’s partner for the H.E.A.L.S project turned – over 30 units of cellular phones. The cellular phones will be used as a 24/7 mobile assistance and advice line dedicated to communities with family health volunteers of SUMMC. These women volunteers are tapped because they have been trained with basic primary health care skills and this is a way to maximize their services to the community.
Dr. Malayang believes that electronic communications like that of the cellular phones has the potential power to get people engaged and involved. It will ensure connectivity of doctors and other medical professionals in the clinic to the different family health volunteers in communities like Dauin and its neighboring towns. He hopes that soon the partnership between Smart and SUMMC can develop a Medical Information System that when a patient from the clinic is referred to a bigger hospital facility in Dumaguete City, his or her basic information, impressions and diagnosis of the patient has been electronically forwarded to the receiving hospital.
Atty. Maria Jane C. Paredes, Public Affairs Senior Manager of Smart, for her part lauded the SUMMC H.E.A.L.S project and another meeting would soon be set to continue discussions on how Smart’s health extension programs can be integrated to the project.
