Gawad Bayaning Kalusugan

Thank you to the Gawad Bayaning Kalusugan organizers for the recognition of our work and choosing me as finalist in the individual category.  I now know how it feels to be a Miss COVID-19 Universe Philippines candidate.

These were my questions, and I would like to answer them in the comfort of my downtime, while reflecting the more profound answers I would have given in a parallel universe.

1. How do you think the cost of treatment for COVID-19 can go down? 

Quoting ARD Dr Guy Perez: The right patient to the right facility, at the right time, all the time!

By centralizing severe and critical cases of COVID-19 to a COVID-19 referral hospital, you allow specialized care with adequate equipment, facilities, supplies and manpower to manage complications of COVID-19 instead of spreading thin your shared resources.

Also, focus on the minimum health standards for infection prevention and control. Health risk communication has an essential role in empowering the community regarding prevention of transmission and identification of pathognomonic signs and symptoms for early detection and control.  Prevention is better than cure!

2. How do you take care of yourself during this COVID-19 Pandemic?

Good nutrition, healthy diet, regular exercise (one hour per day) and maintaining mental health by shouting out to all frontline healthcare workers and asking people "how are you?" because it takes a whole team to beat COVID-19.  We need to walk the talk and practice what we preach.  No ONE hospital or healthcare worker can do it alone.  Our health has to be a team effort.

3. As a maternal health advocate, how do you keep mothers admitted to your hospital safe?

Engineering and administrative controls, innovations for droplet protection, algorithms for triage and hospital zoning, swab testing for SARS COV2 to ensure patients are managed appropriately, COVID19 case managers for psychosocial counselling of both the mother and the family.  Being in a transitional change in the life of a woman is stressful enough.  Having a new baby, going thru the extreme pain of labor, experiencing physical changes in your body is traumatic enough for a woman.  Getting separated with no physical, mental, social and emotional support because of COVID-19 infection can be grueling with the added stigma and discrimination to grapple with.  This should be provided sufficient attention by healthcare workers.