World Health Organization visits CHITS-installed health center
September 5, 2010 2:33 am | by Noel Banez, RN | Posted in News
Representatives from WHO see CHITS in action
(L-R): Noel Banez (CHITS Coordinator-UPM NThC), Paul Rogers (WPRO), Mark Landry (WPRO), Lucille Nievera (WHO Phils), Dr. Cesar Encinares (Pasay CHO), Dr. Marie Irene Sy (Pasay CHO), Dr. Alvin Marcelo (Director, UPM-NThC), and Dr. Alex Gavino (UPM-NThC).
Pasay City, Philippines –- The University of the Philippines Manila – National Telehealth Center’s Community Health Information Tracking System or CHITS, an electronic health record system developed for government health centers, became the focal point of interest for the World Health Organization (WHO) to initiate an ocular visit and observe the use of CHITS in a health center in Pasay City last September 3, 2010.
“We’ve heard so much about CHITS and we want to learn more how it works,” said Mark Landry, Health Information Technical Officer from the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) during the courtesy call to Pasay City Health Officer Dr. Cesar F. Encinares.
The WPRO group included Paul Rogers and Lucille Nievera of WHO Philippines. They were also joined by the team from UPM-NThC led by Dr. Alvin B. Marcelo, Dr. Alex I. Gavino, and CHITS Coordinator Noel A. Bañez. Dr. Marie Irene Sy, District Health officer of Pasay City was also in attendance during the brief meeting and Lagrosa health center visit.
After the courtesy call, the WPRO team visited to the Elvira Lagrosa Health Center to observe the work flow of the health center with the use of CHITS. They interviewed health center staff members including Dr. Marilyn Demdam, physician-in-charge of the Lagrosa Health Center on how CHITS has helped them in rendering patient care in the community.
“Learning new technology among health workers is always a struggle. But by learning by doing, and through K.O.T.O or ‘Know One, Teach One’, it will be an easy task,” advised Paul Rogers on how other health workers in the country can learn from the Pasay experience of CHITS.
The Community Health Information Tracking System is an open source for health development initiative and has been lauded by various local and international institutions for its contribution to effective and efficient delivery of services.
