Eastern Samar pushes digital health profiling

BORONGAN CITY — The provincial government of Eastern Samar is developing a digital profiling system for all constituents to ensure the accurate allocation of healthcare budgets and medical supplies, officials said.

Provincial board member Byron Suyot said every resident must be included in an updated community-based monitoring system.

The data is intended to prevent local shortages of essential medicines and supplies by providing the government with a precise count of patients requiring treatment for chronic conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, at the barangay level.

Suyot, who presided over a provincial health board meeting Monday, stressed a “bottom-up” approach to healthcare. The strategy focuses on meeting specific medical needs within small communities to ensure residents do not have to travel long distances for basic services.

As part of this initiative, the board is working to have more local health centers accredited by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. This would grant residents easier access to affordable maintenance medicines through the PhilHealth Gamot program.

The board also addressed the nutritional status of children following a report from the Second Congressional Commission on Education. The report identified Eastern Samar as having the third-highest prevalence of stunting in the country at 16.86 percent.