Realizing that deaf persons still faced significant difficulties when accessing health services due to a lack of health workers who know sign language, the Department of Health-CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) conducted its second batch of training for the “First Basic Filipino Sign Language ” for health workers of the region.
Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo undescored the importance of communication, whether verbal or sign, because this is the key to understanding people with hearing problems.
By providing the necessary information on deaf persons coupled with skills training on the basics of FSL, Janairo said “we can ensure effectiveness in communicating with patients who have difficulty in hearing to better understand their needs and wants.”
Janairo emphasized that knowledge in FSL will provide equal treatment because health workers can convey information to deaf patients properly.
“If there is a mute or deaf patient who enters a hospital and nobody can understand his signs, there would be a problem in giving the proper treatment and care,” he said.
Paulina A. Calo, Regional Outcome Manager for Persons with Disability and Mental Health, who also spearheaded the FSL training, there are now a total of 145 regional personnel trained in FSL including medical doctors, nurses, health promotion officers, development management officers, administrative personnel, barangay health workers and media personnel.
“The regional office will continue to provide a series of FSL training until all health workers will have the skills and knowledge to fully understand and communicate with patients who have difficulty in hearing”, she disclosed.
The FSL training for health workers is under the special projects of DOH-CALABARZON through the directive and initiative of Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo.
“With the signing of the Universal Health Care Implementing Rules and Regulations, we can now push through with more meaningful projects and activities that will benefit the people and the community,” Janairo said.
The three-day training was attended by nurses, development management officers, Philhealth desk officers, pharmacists and administrative employees of the regional office.