DOH PARTNERS WITH PSHPM AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO DEVELOP MANUAL OF OPERATIONS AND TRAINING MANUALS ON PALLIATIVE AND HOSPICE CARE
The Department of Health (DOH), in partnership with PSHPM and other stakeholders, laid the foundation for hospice and palliative care to support the framework set by the Universal Health Care Act (Republic Act 11223) and the DOH’s National Policy on Palliative and Hospice Care in the Philippines (DOH Administrative Order 2015-52), by developing the Manual of Operations and Basic and Intermediate Training Manuals on Palliative and Hospice Care in the Philippines. PSHPM’s contribution to this project is in support of the Universal Health Care Act’s principle of fostering whole-of-system, whole-of-government, and whole-of-society approach on health policies and programs. Additionally, PSHPM’s participation corroborates the overall directions stated in DOH’s National Policy on Palliative and Hospice Care in the Philippines, which are to strengthen palliative and supportive care in primary health care facilities, and to encourage attitudinal shifts among health professionals by integrating palliative and supportive care into mainstream education.
DOH conceptualized the manuals in January 2020, which is then followed by the formation of a Core Group and Technical Working Group (TWG) in May 2020. Several PSHPM officers form part of the Core Group and TWG, namely President Dr. Karin Estepa-Garcia as a member
of the TWG, Founding Board Member Dr. Agnes Bausa-Claudioas Project Lead, Board of Trustee Member Dr. Rojim J. Sorrosa as a member of the TWG and Training Manual Lead, and Advisory Council Member Dr. Rumalie A. Corvera as Training Manual Co-Lead. Other notable members of these groups are Hospice Philippines President Dr. June Michael Razon, who is the appointed TWG Lead, Dr. Suzette Solis, as the TWG Co-Lead, and Philippine Cancer Society’s Technical Advisory Group Member Dr. Rachel Rosario, as a TWG member.
A number of PSHPM officers contributed as module authors of the Basic Training Manual. Board of Trustee Member Dr. Arabelle Coleen P. Ofina is a co-author of Module 1 (Palliative and Hospice Care: An Introduction), Founding Board Member Dr. Maria Fidelis C. Manalo and Treasurer Dr. Mari Joanne G. Joson are co-authors of Module 2 (Pain Management in Palliative and Hospice Care) and Module 3 (Symptom Management), Dr. Corvera and Subspecialty Board Committee Chair Dr. Djhoanna Aguirre-Pedro are co-authors of Module 6 (Ethical Considerations in End-of-Life Care), and Academic Committee Chair for Continuing Professional Development Dr. Rowena Marie Gallarado Tulang - Samares is the author of Module 8 (Final Hours Management).
Several PSHPM officers, besides being module authors, were also identified to be the Basic Training Manual Module Trainers. Dr. Ofina is one of the Trainers for Module 1, Dr. Manalo and Dr. Joson are Trainers for Module 2, and Dr. Samares is the Trainer for Module 4.
A meeting with the stakeholders to consult and validate the manuals was held on October 16, 2020. The stakeholders represented hospitals, communities, regional health and development centers, and non-government organizations. Stakeholder participants were from:
HOSPITALS
Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center
Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital
COMMUNITIES
Pampanga Provincial Health Office
Marikina City Health Office
Muntinlupa City Health Office
San Fernando City Health Office, Pampanga
REGIONAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTERS
Metro Manila Center of Health and Development
Central Luzon Center of Health and Development
NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS
Madre de Amor Hospice Foundation
ActiveCare Home Health Solutions Inc.
Hospice Philippines
The Ruth Foundation
Kythe Foundation
Soon thereafter, a Pilot (e-Learning) Course on Palliative and Hospice Care Basic Training was held from November 23 to 27, 2020. The target trainees were city and rural health officers, medical officers, physicians, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, nutritionists, social workers, and coordinators from hospitals, city and community health offices, and regional centers of health and development. A total of 36 trainees went through the pilot program. The trainees represented the following offices:
Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, Marikina City
Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital, San Fernando, Pampanga
San Fernando City Health Office, Pampanga
Marikina City Health Office
Muntinlupa City Health Office
National Capital Region Center of Health and Development
Central Luzon Center of Health and Development
According to the DOH, the Manual of Operations is currently undergoing revisions and vetting of stakeholders. Meanwhile, the Basic Training Manual is in its layout process, and the Intermediate Training Manual is being edited. A Pilot Training (e-Learning) course for the Intermediate Training Manual will be organized once the said manual is finalized and approved. The DOH is aiming to release the Manual of Operations and Training Manuals in May 2021.