TESDA-NCR TO LEAD CONTACT TRACING TRAINING IN PHL

To help strengthen the country’s capacity to identify possible carriers of the Covid-19 virus and prevent them from spreading it, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in the National Capital Region (Tesda-ncr), through the Muntiparlastapat District Training and Assessment Center, has opened a Contact Tracing Level II Training Program in Taguig City.

“As the government continues to pursue aggressive testing, tracing, and treatment as among the strategies to fight Covid-19, Tesda welcomes the opportunity to be of service and at the frontline of these efforts, along with the Department of Health and other partner agencies like the local government units and the Red Cross,” Tesda Secretary Isidro Lapeña said during the launch of the facility.

There are 25 pioneer students who are currently undergoing their training there. He told the participants that it is important for them to focus and participate actively in their classes.

“Your role as contact tracers is very crucial. Your speed and competence in contact tracing will be one of our effective instruments to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the country,” he added.

other regions to follow

LAPEÑA is positive that other regions and provinces will follow and start opening their own contact tracing training programs in the next few weeks.

Tesda will provide each trainee with P2,400 for the whole training duration or P160 per day as a training support fund, with P500 for personal protective equipment and another P500 for their mobile data.

Most of the trainees are caregiving graduates or have other health-related qualifications coming from Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Taguig, and Pateros.

Contact Tracing Level II Training Program lasts for 15 days or 120 hours of full-online mode of training delivery with eight hours of training per day.

Here, students can learn how to develop competencies in conducting case investigation and contact identification, planning an investigation and interview, evaluating the results of their interviews, profiling of contacts and data recording, conducting referral to health facility or quarantine, coordinating with health workers and even drivers during the transport of close contacts, and monitoring the patient during transport.

The competency standards of Contact Tracing Level II were developed by Tesda last July.