BHW’s, important component of the Barangay

Sun.Star Pampanga 30 May 2016

BRYAN YUSI PINEDA, RN

Barangay Health Workers, also known as Barangay Health Volunteers, are one of the members
of health care providers in the Philippines. They undergo a basic training program usually
provided by the Local Government Unit Health Service to provide basic, safe, and effective
health care services to the community people, and render primary care services in the
community. They provide basic maternal, newborn, and child health services for the all members
of the barangay.

A Barangay Health Worker (BHW) is one of the front-liners who provide health care services for
the barangay. Barangay health workers are vital in Barangay Health Centers because they
provide assistance and support to physicians, dentists, nutritionists, public health nurses, and
midwives. Collectively, they are considered guardians of the nation’s health.

A Barangay Health Worker is qualified to provide primary health care services in the community
it is serving based on the guidelines given by the (DOH). Here are just a few responsibilities of a
barangay health worker: First aid, Equipment sterilization, Assisting in health center activities,
Collecting vital statistics, Maintaining records and making reports, Participating in community
meetings, Assisting in nutrition education, monitoring and feeding, Assisting in immunization
education, monitoring, and dispensing, Assisting in family planning services, Assisting in
sanitation and hygiene promotion and education.

But, are these Barangay Health Workers well compensated? What does the government’s
approach of keeping these BHW’s?

R.A.7883 is The Barangay Health Workers’ Benefits and Incentives Act of 1995 which is an Act
granting benefits and incentives to accredited BHWs for voluntary health services rendered to
the community.

In recognition of their services, all accredited BHWs who are actively and regularly performing
their duties shall be entitled to the following incentives and benefits: Hazard Allowance,
Subsistence allowance, Training and education and career enrichment programs (TECEPS), Civil
service eligibility, Free legal services, Preferential access to loan.

BHW’s are very important part of the community’s fight to the attainment health for all,
prevention of diseases, and giving basic nursing care. They are the future’s new hero for their
never-ending weariness just to keep the community healthy.

Barangay health centers should be open 24/7, well-stocked

February 17, 2017 1:37 PM1410
MEDICAL emergencies or health concerns happen at any time of the day or night. That is why
hospitals have emergency staff working 24/7. Barangay health centers and workers should also
be open and serving 24/7 with at least one doctor on duty anytime, including dawn hours, to
attend to mothers, children and senior citizens who suddenly get sick but who lack the money to
avail of hospital service, consultation and medicine. These centers should always have medicine
and medical devices needed by patients because they are supposed to have them. Of course, their
medical equipment should be working at all times.technocrati

In Metro Manila, barangay health centers are only open Monday to Friday as if their public
service involves only bureaucratic paperwork done only on weekdays. When a child from a poor
family gets fever, asthma, rashes or some other ailment that requires immediate medical attention
outside of business hours or on a Saturday or Sunday, the sick have to endure the pain and
discomfort until the health center opens the next working day that starts at 8 a.m. because going
to a private clinic and doctor is not an option for them for lack of money. If the patient is actually
experiencing symptoms of dengue, chikungunya, pneumonia or infection, the patient’s condition
may worsen by the time public health professionals attend to them. Worse comes to worst, the
sick child or person succumbs or die.

Medical or health service is critical and barangay health workers should be available round-the-
clock like ordinary hospital staffers to relieve, treat or save patients seeking their help even in
ungodly hours. But with a weekdays-only working schedule, they are not fully fulfilling their
duty for poor patients.

In Minalabac town in Camarines Sur, the municipal office’s health center that serves residents of
nearby barangays has a birthing facility called Naybahay that attends to pregnant mothers 24
hours a day, including free delivery for a second-born if the mother is covered by PhilHealth.
Aside from birthing, post- and pre-natal checkups at NayBahay and other local birthing facilities
in Minalabac is free with the cost of service, including professional consultation and medicines,
covered by PhilHealth. Otherwise, if the patient is not a PhilHealth member, they have to
shoulder the P1,500 fee if the mother is served during business hours, or P2,500 if she is served
during off-hours.

The NayBahay, which was built using donated funds from a pharmaceutical firm, has a two-bed
delivery room and a two-bed ward. It is well-equipped, has ample medical supplies for patients,
and is professionally run by municipal midwives with assistance from nurses of the DOH. The
local government of Minalabac funds the day-to-day operation and pays the salaries of the
midwives and one ambulance driver. The DOH pays for the salaries of the nurses.

Ideally, all barangay health centers should be like Naybahay so any poor villager’s medical or
health issue is timely addressed and remedied for free.