DOH, CPADAO Settle Overlapping Functions in Community-Based Drug Rehab

The Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO) and Department of Health (DOH) 7 recently bordered clear-cut functions that would avoid duplication of work, particularly in implementing the Province’s community-based treatment program for drug surrenderers.

During its executive committee meeting on Thursday, anti-drug czar Ivy Durano-Meca presented the framework outlining the two agencies’ primary function in helping out the rehabilitation platform.

“Barangays and LGUs usually come to us for help. At least now, our roles are defined. Our office will focus on management and organization while DOH 7 will handle the training and treatment,” Meca told reporters after the meeting.

Meca, who heads CPADAO operation, said that among their primary work includes the selection of health personnel from the barangays and towns.

These personnel, Meca added, will be trained by the DOH on how to handle the clinical treatment of surrenderers.

“We wanted to institutionalize the program. We want to ensure that those who participated in the seminar will have ample knowledge to implement the treatment afterwards,” Meca said.

Among the personnel that CPADAO will endorse to the Regular Training System are barangay health workers and municipal health personnel.

Meca, a former board member, said her office would prioritize the training of health workers of the 226 barangays.

She said that these villages show ample interest and are active in enforcing the activities of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADAC).

Once fully trained, these health workers will be tasked to carry out the treatment procedures at the barangay level under the supervision of CPADAO, Meca said.

Currently, trainings are held in the cities of Naga and Carcar which serve as pilot areas for the program.

The Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Commission (CPADAC) is the frontrunner of CPADAO. Its principal task is to formulate policy guidelines for CPADAO.

The commission is headed by Gov. Hilario P. Davide III and is composed of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 7, National Bureau of Investigation 7, Cebu Provincial Police Office, Department of the Interior and Local Government 7, Department of Education (Province of Cebu), Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, Provincial Legal Office and Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.