DILG Antique capacitates contact tracers to boost performance

Sixty-four re-hired contact tracers (CTs) were trained by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Antique Provincial Office to boost contact tracing capacity in the new normal through a virtual orientation on June 22, 2021.

DILG Antique Provincial Director Cherryl Tacda said that the activity is a response to the CT’s need for a capacity development program based on the training needs assessment conducted in February 2021.

The activity aimed to sustain contact tracing in local government units (LGUs) and break the chain of transmission, particularly with the reported entry of the new variants in the country.

The results of the training needs assessment (TNA) tool developed by DILG Region 6 showed that DILG Antique CTs need to be updated with the updates and current trends on Contact Tracing efforts of the government; and conduct capacity development interventions that will improve the level of their confidence in doing their functions and duties.

“To enhance and maximize their role in the contact tracing efforts it is necessary to provide the knowledge that will help them in doing their tasks as contact tracers. Part of their roles and responsibilities is to conduct active surveillance activities and advocate for the implementation of mandatory physical distancing measures at an individual level, and ensure public minimum health standards must be implemented at all times,” Tacda added.

Jerald Ray Tung, a registered nurse at the Angel Salazar Memorial Government Hospital, and the Focal Person for Anti-Rabies, AIDS, and Emerging/Re-emerging Infectious Diseases of the Provincial Health Office, thoroughly discussed topics on:

-calculating infectious period and the importance of stopping the transmission,

-contact tracing technology and data management,

-infectious period and diagnosing COVID-19,

-established DOH protocols,

-how to handle complex cases or incidents,

-how to safely and effectively conduct case interviews, profiling, and

-perform an initial public health risk assessment of COVID-19 cases and their identified close contacts.

Tacda hopes the activity will fill the knowledge gap of the contact tracers and improve their performance in mitigating the spread of the COVID-19.