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SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate Health and Demographics Committee, praised the extension of the state of calamity in the Philippines to ensure continued efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
President Rodrigo Duterte issued Proclamation 1021, which extends the state of calamity from September 13, 2020 to September 12, 2021, “unless it is lifted or extended earlier as circumstances warrant.”
“As the Covid-19 virus continues to threaten the health and safety of the public, it is imperative that we remain vigilant and focused on preventing a larger outbreak, as well as addressing the urgent needs facing our people,” Go said in a statement.
On March 16, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation 929, which placed the country in a state of calamity for a period of six months and imposed a community quarantine on the entire island of Luzon. Other areas of the country were eventually subjected to various quarantine measures.
The declaration also provided the national government and local government units (LGUs) with the tools to access the funds necessary for response efforts, as well as to intensify measures, such as facilitating procurement processes, mandatory reporting, and enforcing prevention. quarantine and disease control.
Go called on the Department of Health (DoH) to use the state of calamity extension to plan, implement and strengthen its efforts against Covid-19 and other health threats, particularly in the area of disease surveillance and contact tracing.
Therefore, the senator is pushing for the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1528, which he introduced to amend Republic Law 11332, also known as the “Mandatory Notification of Reportable Diseases and Health Events Act. of Importance for Public Health “.
The proposed measure will strengthen disease surveillance and control capabilities by improving contact tracing capabilities and testing efficiency.
The bill directs the Department of Health to develop clear guidelines on the systematic reporting and recording of reportable diseases and other similar important health developments that are in the public interest and requires the establishment of sub-national laboratories in each regional hospital managed by the Department. of Health in the country that have the capacity to test, diagnose, control and prevent infectious diseases.
It also gives LGUs the freedom to establish their own laboratories subject to accreditation and approval from the health department. The bill also directs the LGUs to establish their own epidemiology and surveillance units.
Finally, SB 1528 directs the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to assist the Department of Health in its contact tracing efforts.
Go also called for the urgent approval of SB 1451 or the “Medical Reserve Corps Act of 2020”, which will give the Secretary of Health the authority to mobilize, with compensation, all people with degrees in medicine, nursing, technology medical and other health areas. related fields that have not yet obtained their licenses in times of national emergencies.
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