SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH HOLDS HEARINGS ON GOVERNMENT’S PREPAREDNESS FOR EBOLA

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH HOLDS HEARINGS ON GOVERNMENT’S PREPAREDNESS FOR EBOLA

Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health conducted hearings regarding the preparedness of the country’s front liner agencies in dealing with the possible spread of ebola in Asia.

 “We conducted these hearings, not to sow panic, but rather to gather everyone involved and ensure that all concerned government agencies are synchronized in their efforts and are prepared in dealing with this disease,” said Sen. Guingona. “This is a multi-faceted issue, and we should be able to work together as a cohesive unit in order for us to effectively control this pandemic.”

Data from the Department of Foreign Affairs said, there are nearly 3,500 Filipino workers in West African countries that are hardest hit by ebola. Recent outbreak of ebola has killed more than 4,000 people in 2014.

The Senate hearing was conducted initially on October 22, 2014. Resource persons were the following:

1.      Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona

2.      DOH Undersecretary Teodoro Herbosa

3.      DOH Assistant Secretary Enrique Tayag (Head, National Epidemiology Center)

4.      Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario

5.      Administrator Hans Cacdac of Philippine Overseas Employment Administration

6.      Dir. Emmanuel Labella, Bureau of Quarantine

7.      Administrator Carmelita Dimzon of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration

8.      Lt. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr., Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines

9.      Dr. Socorro Lupisan,  Director of Research Institute for Tropical Medicine

10.  Dr. Winston Go, Head of San Lazaro Hospital

11.  Dr. Aileen Javier, Executive Director of National Kidney and Transplant Institute

12.  Dr. Julie Hall, Country Representative of World Health Organization

13.  Dr. Maria Minerva Calimag, President of Philippine Medical Association

14.  Dr. Roger Tong-an, National President of Philippine Nurses Association, Inc.

15.  Dr. Ruben C. Flores, President of Philippine Hospital Association. /MP