DAVAO DEL NORTE (PIA) - - - The provincial government center here and the Provincial Hospital – Carmen Zone garnered Red Orchid Awards in implementing 100% Tobacco-Free Environment within its premises.
Received during the Red orchid awarding ceremony on June 26 at Greenleaf Hotel, General Santos City, the awards were presented earlier during the Monday Convocation program of the provincial government here.
Records show that based on the criteria set by the Department of Health, the provincial government garnered a 100% equivalent score; while the hospital acquired 99.02%.
Dr. Agapito Hornido, provincial health officer, said that the strict implementation of the Provincial Ordinance No. 2000-041 or the Anti-Smoking Code of Davao del Norte supplemented by the Memoradum Circular No. 17-2009 of the Civil Service Commission contributed to the attaining of the award.
Dr. Hornido said that before the implementation of the policies, department heads of the provincial government were oriented.
Hornido added that if an employee committed the offenses for three times, the penalty that will be charged to the personnel is termination.
He also said that the provincial health office conducted a survey on all the employees and encouraged those smokers to undergo smoking cessation sessions in the clinic.
He added that only those willing employees were accommodated in the smoking cessation clinic.
Dr. Erma Adora Balani, provincial tobacco prevention and control program coordinator of the province, said that according to their initial survey, the provincial government has 87 smoker-employees.
Dr. Balani added that among those, 47 have already undergone counseling on smoking cessation.
She also said that on the following months, they will be trying to reach out to the other 40 employees for them to undergo smoking cessation counseling.
Aside from them, the other winners were Panabo City and the municipality of Dujali with Pink Orchid Awards; and New Corella with White Orchid Award. (PIA 11, Michael Uy)
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