Monitored: And The Countdown Begins

Last August 19, two doctors from the Department of Health, one coming from the Center for Health Development Region 6 and one from the Central Office - Health Human Resource and Development Bureau (HHRDB), visited me in my area, as part of the monitoring procedure conducted among the outgoing Doctors to the Barrios. My contract shall end on October 2009 and according to latest information (still to be confirmed though), the next CME (which is going to be my final CME) will be at Clark, Pampanga. I have never been to Clark and it is going to be my first time in Pampanga. I was hoping that the final CME will be in Bohol, because it is nearer and therefore more convenient to bring my "stuff" for the traditional gallery presentation.


Anyway, the two doctors, one of whom is a former DTTB herself, met with my staff at around 5 pm already, since they had to drop by Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital to also monitor the N.A.R.S. volunteers currently assigned in the district hospital in Kabankalan City, the core referral hospital of our South Negros Interlocal Health Zone. I was able to tag along with them at Kabankalan and I couldn't help but feel goosebumps to step inside the conference room where we would usually have our TWG meetings. Could this be my last in this conference room?

During their conversation with the staff at the RHU, I was of course not allowed to listen in. I was in fact busy typing some letters at the other end of the health center while they were also interviewing the staff. What happened inside was supposed to be confidential, as confidential as the election of the new pope.

The small group discussion ended at around 6:30 pm and was slightly interrupted by a power shortage. Power was restored an hour after, just as they were about to finish their dinner. Doc Pau and Doc Jen stayed at the Tourism Cottage, my first home when I arrived in my area about 2 years ago.

The following morning, after some breakfast, the monitoring continued, this time focusing on papers and outputs and documents. My public health manager also gave them a tour of the offices, including a demonstration of our computerized OPD, NBS and CBMIS database. They were obviously impressed.

I had to excuse myself at that time because we had to conduct the final TB Barangay Forum at Barangay West, the 3rd barangay to conduct the TB forum. Three days earlier, we conducted our first TB forum at Barangay Cabia-an. During the TB Forums, the participants enjoyed the TB or not TB game. While on my visit to Barangay Cabia-an, I was able to meet my relatives, my second cousins and my nieces and nephews. Tita Ponyang, who happens to be my father's first cousin, lives in Cabia-an together with her husband and children and grandchildren.




Anyway, just after lunch, I accompanied Doc Pau and Doc Jen back to Bacolod. Doc Pau was catching the second to the last trip of the ferry back to Iloilo. Doc Jen's flight back to Manila was at 7 pm.

I am thankful to the support of the RHU in preparation for this monitoring and evaluation. Somebody asked me whether I was tensed or not days prior to the monitoring. I was frankly not really tensed. I am pretty much confident that whatever accomplishments I was able to perform, I performed them to the best of my ability, together with the support and cooperation of the staff and the community.