Cebu City Barangay Referral System for COVID-19 Detection Strengthen

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is now aiming for faster detection of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as it strengthens the Barangay Referral System in Cebu City.

Melquiades Feliciano, IATF-EID deputy chief implementer for Cebu, has asked the different barangay leaders in Cebu City to follow the said Barangay Referral System and to share best practices and recommendations on how to arrest COVID-19 cases, as per PNA.

A Barangay Referral System is a step-by-step process on where to refer suspected Covid-19 patients and is designed to make the work of barangay officials and other emergency responders easier. This is in addition to one of Feliciano’s aims in transforming Cebu City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) into a proactive response mechanism for a stronger capacity to fight COVD-19.

Barangay officials were also urged to always coordinate with the Department of Health’s (DOH) Operations Command for the referral of suspected COVID-19 patients, said Dr. Jaime Bernadas, DOH VII Regional Director. (GFB)