IDRC sits in at E-Lecture between National Telehealth Center and Basco, Batanes

On November 17, 2008 a lecture on Alcohol Abuse and Rehabilitation was given by Dr. Allan Dionisio of the National Poison Management and Control Center from UP-Manila to the Provincial Health Office, PNP, and other government employees and health workers about 800km away in Basco, Batanes. This lecture, an e-learning session aimed at improving health care at the grassroots level, is part of the telehealth program of the UP Manila National Telehealth Center in partnership with the province of Batanes. Using the free software, skype, Dr. Dionisio not only was able to deliver his lecture, but also had a lively question and answer interaction with the audience in Basco. This session is very appropriate since Batanes, with a an approximate population of 17000 is the number 2 consumer of gin nationwide.
While about 12 km from UP Manila, in the Telecommunication Office in Quezon City, at the pilot site of the eSkwela project of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), CICT director for field operations Maria Tess Camba, International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada Program Manager (telecentre.org) Florencio Ceballos, OneRoof VP Miguel Raimilla and CICT and e-Skwela managers and learners observed Dr. Dionisio and the audience in Batanes again using the simple technology of the internet through skype. Prior to the lecture, Dr. HR Aujero, Coordinator for Field Operations of the National Telehealth Center introduced to the IDRC, CICT, and eSkwela representatives the initiatives of the National Telehealth Center. Assisted by Project Assistant Al Merca and Research Assistant Engr. Randy Fernandez, a three-point connection was established allowing all sites: National Telehealth Center- Basco, Batanes- Telof to see and interact with each other. Representatives from IDRC and CICT noted the innovative way of sharing knowledge using free software transcending limitations on location and limited connectivity. Afterwhich Mr. Ave Mejia presented the eSkwela project of the CICT which provides ICT-enhanced educational opportunities for out-of-school youths and adults.
Apart from e-learning, the National Telehealth Center, helps Batanes in patient care through e-medicine and in improving patient data management at the Rural Health Unit level through its e-records, CHITS (Community Health Information Tracking System)

Batanes Telehealth Program Inked

Batanes is 225 years old! As part of the Batanes Foundation Day celebrations, National Telehealth Center Director Alvin Marcelo, National Institutes of Health Deputy Executive Director Vicente Belizario, and DOH-Information Management Services Director Crispinita Valdez supported by NThC staff Cristina Onzaga, Al Merca, and Alexandra Bernal, RN traveled to Batanes to take part in the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement of the Batanes Telehealth Program with Governor Telesforo Castillejos, Mayor Demetrius Paul Narag of Basco, and Mayor Nicanor Doplito of Uyugan. This program, which has three main components: telemedicine, continuing professional education, and establishing an electronic health records for RHUs, seeks deliver health care from a distance. Dr. HR Aujero, Field Operations Coordinator of the National Telehealth Center, was sent to Batanes on a three-month stint to implement the project.

Telemedicine is simply providing healthcare to patients from a remote location. Doctors and selected nurses of Batanes General Hospital, the Provincial Health Office, the Municipality of Uyugan and the hospitals in the islands of Itbayat (Itbayat District Hospital) and Sabtang (Sabtang Community Hospital) have been trained on how to present patients through videoconferencing and how to take pictures of X-ray plates and lesions. A number of patients' x-ray plates have been referred to the Philippine General Hospital for official reading of a radiologist. And slides have also been sent to Manila to be read by a pathologist. Other avenues that have been utilized include SMS, and MMS. The latter has been very helpful for dermatology materials.

It is also the program's goals to improve the knowledge and skills of the other health workers such as the midwives and barangay health workers. Video presentations have been produced by the National Telehealth Center in cooperation with USAID and the UP Open University's Multimedia Center for these front line healthworkers. Each session consists of a video presentation and is followed by an open forum with a specialist on the topic from the Philippine General Hospital. To date, there have been three sessions in the province. The first in the island municipality of Itbayat on household poisoning with Dr. Laura Aguinaldo (April 22,2008). A session on stroke with Dr. Paul Pasco was held in the Provincial Health Office in Basco (May 5, 2008). And as part of the Batanes Day celebrations, another session on household poisoning with Dr. Laura Aguinaldo was held in the PHO (June 27, 2008). The last one however had the Q&A via cellular phone due to limited internet connection.

The last component is the utilization of the Community Health Information Tracking System, an electronic health record for Rural Health Units. This customizable, user friendly software is free, thus lowering costs for the LGUs. Pilot sites for CHITS are municipalities of Basco and Uyugan and the provincial health office. Mr Alison Perez Senior Programmer of the UP College of Medicine’s Medical Informatics Unit came to Batanes to install CHITS in the pilot sites and train the health workers on its use.

With the pact signed, stakeholders from both ends sealed their commitment on the program and expressed their enthusiasm for the next phase.

Basco Health Workers Learns Community Management of Stroke Through the Internet

After the successful, e-learning session on childhood poisoning in the northernmost inhabited island of Itbayat, it was Basco's turn to have one. On May 5, 2008 health workers and nurses in Basco, Batanes connected with Neurologist Dr. Paul Pasco of the Philippine General Hospital through the internet. National Telehealth Center Field Operations Coordinator Dr. HR Aujero and medical students Romelyn April Imperio, Van Jerwin Mercado, Dan Michael Pineda, and Ezra Valido from The UP College of Medicine facilitated the activity.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Roel Nicolas welcomed the participants to the event. A seven-minute video on stroke was shown to the audience. Afterwards, everyone was encouraged to ask questions to Dr. Pasco in PGH. After the initial reserve of the participants, they eventually relaxed and asked their questions. Eventually even myths like “stroke three your out” were busted. Like in Itbayat, the healthworkers in Basco look forward to more sessions.