City officials granted authority to the city chief executive to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology (PMSO) and the Roche Philippines, Inc. for the implementation of the Project Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes (ECHO) program in the city.
Under Resolution No. 632, series of 2022, local legislators stated that as the pilot Project ECHO execution in the city, it is aimed to further improve cancer screening/early diagnosis at the barangay level and build the public cancer health care referral system.
The Project ECHO is designed to build and foster a network of healthcare professionals, through a model of telementoring and coordination that would enhance screening, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer thereby creating awareness and prevention of the dreaded disease.
Further, it is a global innovative telementoring program designed to create virtual communities of learners by bringing together health care providers and subject matter experts using video conference technology, brief lecture presentations, and case-based learning, fostering an all learn, all teach approach.
Under the said program, participants, community health workers, are engaged through a hub-and-spoke model, with bi-directional virtual knowledge network of sharing clinical challenges and learning from experts and peers.
Moreover, it is a collaborative model of medical education and care management that empowers clinicians everywhere to provide better care to more people, right where they live.
The council mandated that the signed memorandum of understanding shall be submitted to the local legislative body for confirmation pursuant to established laws, rules and regulations as enshrined under the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 7160 or the Local Government Code of the Philippines.