BATAC CITY – State-run Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC) braces for the “new normal” as it launched ‘E-Pakaammo’, a social media-based health education program.
In an interview Wednesday, Jhey-ar Mangati, MMMH&MC’s health education and promotions officer, said the program aims to improve the public’s health literacy and gain their support in the programs and activities of the Department of Health and the hospital.
“With the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic currently gripping the entire world, we are trying to shift our focus in bringing fast and relevant information to the public through this program,” Mangati said.
With E-Pakaammo, online health education sessions shall be broadcasted live on the official Facebook page of MMMH&MC every Tuesday and Thursday at 2 p.m. Health advocacies and topics to be discussed for this month include holistic concerns surrounding Covid-19 pandemic such as mental health management, elderly care during the pandemic, the principle surrounding the “new normal”, and cervical cancer management.
Mangati said the public will have the chance to ask questions relating to the topics discussed which will be answered live by the hospital’s medical personnel. MMMH&MC chief, Dra. Maria Lourdes Otayza hopes that E-Pakaammo will become the new buzzword in the province similar to the”new normal” and “flattening the curve”.
“Even prior to the onset of the pandemic, the hospital’s new strategic thrust under the performance governance system was towards more community engagement and this (online) platform allows us to connect with our communities on different levels while answering many life questions,” Otayza said.
As the public and private sectors shift to the use of online and social media-based platforms to conduct their activities and reach out to the community, Otayza expects the public will learn about various programs of the hospital.
In April, the hospital initiated the ‘e-Clinic’ program, a free online medical consultation, to allow Ilocanos continued access to medical services without having to physically go to hospitals. (PNA)