DRRM for health in city to be adopted

The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance adopting and institutionalizing the disaster risk reduction and management for the health system in the city and allocating funds for the said purpose.

Under the proposed ordinance authored by Councilor Betty Lourdes F. Tabanda, the DRRM-H plan that shall be drafted and finalized by the city health Services Office shall be integrated in the overall CDRRM plan; provided that, the disaster risk reduction and management in health plan include disaster risk reduction and management plan of the Health Care Providers network and other stakeholders or health services delivery units in the city.

The ordinance stated that the City Health Services Office shall be responsible for the institutionalization of the DRRM-H SYSTEM. It shall take the lead in the response efforts for health and health-related emergencies or disasters that shall be anchored on the DRRM-H plan guided by people-centered DRRM-H implementation; all-hazards approach in policy; whole-of-society approach; community empowerment and resilience; science and evidence-based; equity in the delivery of essential health services; institutionalization of a functional DRRM-H system that shall be covered in all phases; adaptation of the aforesaid system and mechanisms of cooperative undertakings among local government units and their partners from the government and the private sector; and the integration, supervision, organization, development, improvement and overall management of the DRRM-H program.

The ordinance adopted the DRRM-H national policy and its framework and shall be implemented based on national framework and institutionalized in the local government and in all health service delivery units, public or private, maintaining resilience of the health system in all phases of the emergency and disaster.

The city DRRM plan shall be drafted and finalized by the City health Services Office in close coordination with the DRRM-H planning management, the local health board, CDRRMC, the Health Care Provider Network and other concerned government agencies and shall be approved by the City mayor updated on a timely manner, tested through drills or other forms of exercise and disseminated, verbally and written, to all stakeholders; provided that, the DRRM-H plans from the various health care units, hospitals and other service delivery units within the network are incorporated in the aforesaid plan prior to submission for approval and integration into the overall DRRM plan.

The CDRRMC shall as one of its existing functions ensure the integration of the DRRM and climate change adaptation into local development plans, programs and budgets as a strategy in sustainable development and poverty reduction.

Further, the CDRRMO shall be responsible for the coordination of emergency response teams and members of the CDRRMC during the emergencies and disasters and consolidation of disaster risk management programs within the city complimented by the barangay disaster risk reduction and management committees in every barangay that shall also serve the same purpose. – Dexter A. See