29 May 2014- “To protect health workers, we should construct resilient health facilities. These should be the last building standing after a disaster,” stressed Dr. Jose Rubillos Llacuna, Regional Director (Region VIII) of the Department of Health, as he shared the value of preparedness in protecting health workers in times of conflict and disasters at the World Health Assembly (WHA) technical briefing entitled, “Health Care under Attack: A Call for Action.”
Dr. Llacuna represented the Philippines as one of the speakers in the briefing, the Philippine Mission to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva reported.
Held on May 20 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, at the sidelines of the 67th World Health Assembly (WHA67), Dr. Llacuna joined United Nations (UN) Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos, International Committee of the Red Cross President Peter Mauer, Central African Republic Health Minister Dr. Marguerite Samba, and Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations in Geneva Juan José Quintana Aranguren, in sharing insights and lessons learned on the importance of protecting health workers, patients and health facilities in relation to the issue of increasing threats to them in many parts of the world.
Dr. Llacuna further stressed the importance of an organized response. He cited his personal experience of managing the challenges in the face of desolation in the immediate aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) last November. Being the head of the Department of Health in Region VIII who led the immediate response after Typhoon Haiyan struck Central Visayas, Dr. Llacuna recounted the initiatives he and his team implemented in order to address the situation, particularly their adoption of the “buddy system” among health personnel attending to the victims of the typhoon. In order to protect health personnel and be effective in delivering the much needed health services, health personnel are relieved of their duties and made to take turns with their “buddies” as well as undergo stress management.
Dr. Bruce Aylward, World Health Organization (WHO) Assistant Director-General for Polio and Emergencies, chaired the briefing. Also present was WHO Director General Dr. Margaret Chan.
Some 200 representatives attended the briefing from various Missions in Geneva and UN agencies, international governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, members of the academe and the media. END