C5 offers a fast and reliable platform for data recording, consolidation, processing, and reporting of medical health information to Cauayan City’s Health Office
Cagayan Valley’s first ever telehealth project dubbed as “Cauayan City Care COVID-19 Consult” of C5 was officially launched recently as a response to the pandemic.
The project is being piloted in Cauayan City, Isabela that is a well-known SMARTER City in the north and is also actively engaging in social health development programs.
This project addresses the current issue in Cagayan Valley as it struggles to prevent the increase of COVID-19 cases in the region. As of March 2021, Region II has been identified among the top three regions in the country to have the highest number of active COVID-19 cases. Officials have noted that lack of information and documentation of COVID positive patients have led to the rise of active cases in the region.
Acting as a “COVID-19 Call Center”, local health workers would be given a platform to record, consolidate, and report medical health information of the people in Cauayan City.
Moreover, C5 also enhances the Healthguard Application, earlier developed by DOST Region II and the Isabela State University (ISU), and its capability to record and analyze COVID-19 data, in accordance to the Data Privacy Law.
Recently, C5 trainings for healthcare workers and other related officials were conducted last June 21 to 25 that were attended by a total of 100 participants.
C5 was created through the initiative of and partnership among the Department of Science and Technology Region II (DOST-II), the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Cauayan, the Isabela State University (ISU), and the Commission on Higher Education Region II (CHED-RO2).
The Giants Behind C5
Prompted by urgency and concern for the people in Cagayan Valley, DOST-II, the LGU Cauayan, the ISU, and CHED-RO2 joined forces to create the C5 project and address the pandemic head on.
This telemedicine venture was initially developed by the office of the City Mayor, Hon. Bernard Faustino M. Dy, with its goal to improve the city’s medical services.
DOST-II, through the leadership of former regional director and newly appointed Undersecretary for Regional Operations, Engr. Sancho A. Mabborang, has committed to fully support the “call-center” venture. Innovative and state of the art facilities were promised to equip the C5 center in Cauayan City for it to deliver more effective health services.
As for ISU, they were tasked to spearhead the said project through the Health Innovation Center (HIC) located in their campus. The HIC consists of a group of allied health professionals and faculty members from health-related departments.
The private sector was also seen as a big contributor, like the University of Perpetual Help System College of Nursing, that also aims to lend a helping hand, through coordination with CHED-Region II. For the said project, incoming 3rd and 4th year students of health-related courses will serve as Telehealth Agents.
For their part, the healthcare workers in the region, such as nurses, midwives, and health staff of Cauayan City Health Offices also showed the intent to serve and help in the overall plan to address the pandemic.
Furthermore, the C5 telehealth also aims to provide effective communication among healthcare providers and the people of Cauayan City, a very important mechanism in implementing a public health initiative.
With the success of the C5 telehealth project, the cooperators look forward to replicating this initiative and for it to travel beyond the borders of Cauayan City and influence the whole of Cagayan Valley in due time. (S&T Pen 02-Hannah Mallillin)
