DOH exec bares qualifications, salary grade for contact tracers

Contact tracers should at least have two years in college, and one year of relevant experience as the country will need 95,000 of them in the battle against COVID-19, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Saturday.

Vergeire also said they have recommended at least a salary grade 8 or  9.

"Ang gagawin ng contact tracers, hindi lang naman sila basta maghahanap ng tao, makikipag-usap sila sa mga tao, hihimukin nila ang mga tao para magbigay ng impormasyon and at the same time magbibigay sila ng education information sa mga tao," Vergeire said in a Dobol B sa News TV interview.

"So we need at least two years in college at saka minimum one year experience, 'yun po ang nakalagay sa ating rekomendasyon," she added.

Vergeire said it would be "ideal" if a contact tracer is also a resident of an area  where he or she will be conducting the contact tracing.

"'Pag sinabi natin na contact tracing, kailangan mo na pinagkakatiwalaan ng tao ang taong pupunta sa kanila para humingi ng personal information nila," she added.

Aside from tracing those who had contact with suspected, probable or confirmed COVID-19 cases, contact tracers will also monitor communities, as well as health workers conducting isolation and quarantine.

For this kind of job, Vergeire said they have recommended that contact tracers should have at least a salary grade 8 or 9.

Earlier, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said the country should hire workers displaced by the COVID-19 lockdown measures as contact tracers, and that hiring is also open for workers displaced by the COVID-19 lockdown measures.

On the other hand, Vergeire said, "Walang pipiliin naman kung ano, kailangan lang, qualified."

Also, she said the hiring process will not need a lot of documents.

"Simple requirements lang po ang hihingiin para lang makapag-umpisa tayo para rito."

Vergeire had said the ideal number of contact tracers is one per 800 people.

At least P11.7 billion is needed by the Department of Health for the hiring of additional contact tracers. —LBG, GMA News