CHED taps health experts to ensure compliance with guidelines on use of SUCs as quarantine centers

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has formed a group of public health experts to ensure state universities and colleges (SUCs) and Local Government Units (LGUs) conform and comply with proper health guidelines on the use of school facilities as quarantine centers or Community Isolation Units (CIUs).

The Public Health Experts Group (CHED-PHEG) will be led by Dr. Vicente Y. Belizario, Jr., current Dean of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Public Health and former Undersecretary of the Department of Health (DOH).

The other members of the Experts Group are:

1. Dr. Paul Michael R. Hernandez (Health and Safety)
2. Dr. Maria Rosanna E. De Guzman (Mental Health)
3. Dr. Emerito A. Faraon (Health Systems)
4. Prof. Ernesto R. Gregorio, Jr. (Health Promotion)
5. Prof. Marian F. Lomboy (Environmental Health)
6. Dr. Evalyn A. Roxas (Infectious Diseases)

The CHED-PHEG had developed the guidelines in setting up community isolation units in public facilities, and is tasked to provide technical assistance to the LGU and the SUCs in the establishment of quarantine centers or CIUs.

The CHED-PHEG will also assist the SUC in the determination of the suitability of facilities as quarantine centers or CIUs.

This follows after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) adopted a policy requiring LGUs that plan to use the facilities of SUCs as quarantine areas for Persons Under Monitoring (PUM) and Persons Under Investigation (PUI) to have a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to ensure compliance with standards across the country.

“The Commission tapped the public health experts from UP so LGUs and SUCs can be assisted in setting up quarantine centers. The technical guidance of Dean Jun Belizario team will ensure that all quarantine centers set up by LGUs all over the country have the same standards and can take care of our PUMs and PUIs,” CHED chairman J. Prospero De Vera III said.

Three provinces in the Bicol Region have already established their quarantine centers in Sorsogon State College, Camarines Norte State College and the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture. —Jamil Santos/LDF, GMA News