Boholano Doctor Bags Most Outstanding Doctors to the Barrios Award
Dr. Reina Juno Uy Sumatra is among the five physicians who recently received the Most Outstanding Doctors to the Barrios (DTTB) Award from the Department of Health (DOH) in November 7, 2024 during theirExit Conference in Davao City.There are currently 148 DTTBs of Batch 39, known as Sinagtala, in the whole Philippines.
The Most Outstanding DTTB Award acknowledges and celebrates the exceptional commitment, sacrifice, and service of the Rural Health Physicians (RHPs) who serve in the unserved and underserved communities in the country. Since it was established in 1993, the DTTB Program was designed to address the unequal distribution of physicians across the Philippines, particularly in underserved and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs), many of which had been without a doctor for over a decade.
A Journey of Excellence and Commitment to Equitable Healthcare
Dr. Sumatragot her medical degree from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM) at UP Manila. She is a product of the INTARMED (Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine) program, a prestigious seven-year accelerated medical program offered by UPCM.After passing the Physician Licensure Examination in November 2021, she was deployed by the DOH to the Municipality of Samboan in Cebu province as a Municipal Health Officer – Officer In-Charge in February 2022. Upon her request, the DOH approved her transfer to her home province where she was assigned in Danao, Bohol as Rural Health Physician and designated as Municipal Nutrition Action Officer (MNAO) in February 2023.
Serving with Passion for Public Service
Simultaneously serving as DTTBs, Dr. Sumatra is also enrolled in the Master in Public Management major in Health Governance degree at the Ateneo de Manila School of Governance through online classes and a monthly one-week face-to-face class.
Dr. Sumatra is a member of the Technical and Policy Committee of the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians (PSPHP) where she participates in technical meetings to review proposed amendments of a national law and peer reviews articles submitted to the Asian Journal of Public Health Practice (AJPHP). She is also a member of the Association of Municipal Health Officers of the Philippines (AMHOP).
Exceptional Accomplishments for Transformative Impact
Among the innovative programs and projects implemented by DTTB Reina Juno Sumatra in 2022-2024that earned her the Best DTTB Award are the following:
On Health Governance
- DTTB Sumatra advocated for the expansion of the Local Health Board to include the department heads, non-government organizations (NGOs), and civil society organizations (CSOs) of the Municipality of Danao, Bohol
. - DTTB Sumatra advocated for and co-presided the regular meetings of the Expanded Local Health Board from a quarterly to a monthly setup, which is jointly conducted with the Municipal Nutrition Committee Meeting, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management for Health (DRRM-H) Meeting, and Epidemiology Surveillance Unit Meeting.
Figure 1. Selected pictures of the monthly Expanded Local Health Board Meetings joint with the Municipal Nutrition Committee Meeting, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management for Health (DRRM-H) Meeting, and Epidemiology Surveillance Unit Meeting in Danao, Bohol attended by department heads, NGOs, CSOs, and the RHU Staff.
On Nutrition
- DTTB Sumatra helped in drafting the Municipal Ordinance for the Comprehensive Nutrition Program ofthe Municipality of Danao that formalized a long-term strategy to combat malnutrition, which is one of the priority areas of concern in Danao.
Figure 2. On the left is the Municipal Ordinance No. 2024-04-05 of the Municipality of Danao Bohol entitled “Ordinance Institutionalizing The Municipality Comprehensive Nutrition Program Through Integrated, Strengthened, And Sustained Strategies To Safeguard The Nutritional Well-Being Of The People Of Danao Appropriating Funds Thereof And For Other Purposes” also known as the Danao Comprehensive Nutrition Program Ordinance. On the right are the public hearings conducted for the ordinance, with DTTB Sumatra as the resource speaker, for each of the 17 barangays of Danao, Bohol.
- For the first time, DTTB Sumatra created a multi-sectoral municipal nutrition evaluation team (MNET) and initiated the barangay-level monitoring and evaluation of the nutrition program using the MELLPI-Pro Tool. MELLPI means Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation. This initiative has been sustained for two years (2023-2024).
Figure 3. On the left are the selected pictures for the Monitoring and Evaluation of the Nutrition Program conducted at the barangay-level for all 17 barangays of Danao, Bohol by the Municipal Nutrition Evaluation Team composed of the Municipal Nutrition Action Officer/DTTB, Municipal Nutrition Program Coordinator, Nutritionist-Dietician, Department of Education District Supervisor, Sangguniang Bayan Kagawad on Health, and representatives from the Municipal Agriculture Office, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, and Municipal Local Government Operations Office.
- Lobbied for and secured a 600% increase in the annual municipal nutrition budget from 100,000 for 2023 to 600,0000 for 2024.
On Tuberculosis (TB) Control
- Developed an innovative Tuberculosis project in partnership with CareGo Health Suite, which was formalized through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).
Figure 4. On the left is the resolution authorizing Municipal Mayor Cepedoza of Danao, Bohol to sign the Memorandum of Agreement with CareGo Health Suite for the Innovative TB Project aligned with UHC. On the right is our first zoom meeting and on the lower right is the awarding of certificates at the end of the project
On Serving the Underserved
- Performed house-to-house medical visitations for the elderly, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and those living in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA).
Figure 5. DTTB Sumatra conducts home visitations for the elderly, PWDs, and those in GIDA barangays.
- Introduced a Telemedicine Project for GIDA barangays in partnership with Asia Open Ran Academy(AORA). Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) is a new approach to network architecture that opens up the telecommunications network, allowing Mobile Network Operators to choose the best products and solutions from a variety of vendors. If adopted widely, ORAN offers benefits of lower costs and added capabilities especially in hard-to-reach areas of the archipelago for Telemedicine.
Figure 6. Activities conducted with AORA for the Telemedicine Project, including stakeholder engagements at the barangay, municipal, provincial, and regional levels as well as signal strength assessments in the GIDA barangays of Danao, Bohol.
- Conducted Research for the Telemedicine Project and presented the Telemedicine Project Research at International Conferences (58th Asia Pacific Advanced Network Meeting (APAN58) physically held in Islamabad, Pakistan on August 26-30, 2024 and the 13th Biennial Conference of the Asia Pacific Association for Medical Informatics at UP BGC Campus, Taguig on October 1-2, 2024)
Figure 7. On top is the Zoom presentation of the Telemedicine Project at APAN58 Meeting and on the bottom is the oral presentation of the Telemedicine Project at APAMI 2024 Conference.
Plaque of Recognition received from the Municipality of Danao, Bohol for the work done as DTTB
Award of Appreciation and Recognition received from the first Municipality of deployment as DTTB signed by the Mayor, Vice Mayor, and all SB members of the Municipality of Samboan, Cebu