KIDAPAWAN CITY, Cotabato Province (PIA) -- The provincial government of Cotabato has intensified its One Hospital Command Center (OHCC) to provide quality healthcare services to its constituents, especially those from far-flung communities in the province.

Recently, frontline workers of the OHCC, which included representatives from private and public hospitals, rural health units, disaster risk response offices, and 911, gathered to discuss "ways forward” to improve the operation of the center post-COVID-19 pandemic.

OHCC has played a crucial role in coordinating efforts to maximize the use of critical healthcare services in hospitals and other medical facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ely Nebrija, in charge of the Cotabato OHCC, said they will strengthen the implementation of the e-referral system through the use of OHCC patient navigation and social media, as he expressed confidence in the full support of the province.

“The provincial government, through its Serbisyong Totoo, prioritizes programs for the health and welfare of the people,” Nebrija said.

He added that to strengthen the system, there is also a need to improve its operation, including the coordinating centers in rural health units.

In Cotabato province, the OHCC, located inside the Cotabato Provincial Hospital, has a one-call-center sub-office that patients or their families can contact to get immediate attention whenever they need medical services.

It helps lessen the waiting time for patients since the OHCC will be the one to coordinate with public and private hospitals for faster referrals. The local governments have retained OHCC’s operations, knowing its efficiency during emergencies.

The provincial government, under the leadership of Gov. Emmylou Mendoza, has committed to supporting President Marcos’ health initiatives to help achieve his goal of creating Healthy Pilipinas, which starts with healthy communities.

She said that aligning with the Healthy Pilipinas goal would mean going beyond the conduct of medical and dental outreach programs, pointing out that it takes conscious effort to make health services accessible and available to every family member in the communities, particularly the remote areas.

She also believed that providing consistent health education to the people will enable them to change their behavior and encourage them to adopt healthy behaviors, which can be achieved through the provincial government’s advocacy initiative called Serbisyong Totoo.

To drum up such advocacy, the governor met with the personnel of the Integrated Provincial Health Office, Cotabato Provincial Hospital, M’lang District Hospital, Aleosan District Hospital, Alamada Provincial Community Hospital, and Arakan Valley District Hospital to discuss how to strengthen their efforts in the delivery of health services in their respective areas of concern.

Mendoza highlighted that cooperation is essential in order to accomplish the shared goal of transforming Cotabato into a peaceful, healthy, and progressive province.

“Magbuligay kita nga mahatag naton ang ‘Serbisyong Totoo’ sa mga barangay [Let's help one another so that we can provide true service to our barangays],” the governor said, reiterating people’s health as among the top priorities of the provincial government of Cotabato. (SJDM – PIA Cotabato Province)