“Together, let us embark on a journey towards occupational health and safety.”

Advocating for occupational safety among emergency room (ER) nurses, Zamboanga Consortium for Health Research and Development (ZCHRD) representative Mr. Halid Tamano is this year’s victor of the 3-Minute Pitch to Policymakers competition held on 9 August 2023 at the Summit Hotel in Tacloban City. 

In his pitch entitled, “Resiliency Building: Enhancing Occupational Health and Safety for ER Nurses,” Mr. Tamano highlighted the need to strengthen the enforcement of occupational safety among healthcare institutions, as a way to protect the welfare of healthcare workers and improve patient outcomes. 

Following a study he conducted in 2021, he proposed four key policy interventions that may help reduce the occurrence of occupational hazards in healthcare institutions. First, he highlighted the need to create a robust surveillance system that will monitor and track injuries and illnesses. According to Mr. Tamano, a system will “enable targeted interventions, identify emerging risks, and facilitate evidence-based policy formulation.”

Aside from this, he also emphasized the need to advocate for comprehensive policies and regulations that will target hazards, such as provisions on the proper utilization of personal protective equipment (PPEs), and measures against psychosocial risks. 

He also campaigned for the implementation of mandatory training programs and continuing education courses that will equip ER nurses with the necessary knowledge and skills to recognize hazards, employ preventive strategies, and utilize control measures effectively.

Lastly, he encouraged stronger collaborations among government agencies, healthcare institutions, professional organizations, and occupational health experts. “By fostering partnerships and collective efforts, we will be able to develop and implement holistic strategies that prioritize the health and welfare of our healthcare workers, our ER nurses,” he said.

To end his pitch, Mr. Tamano described how these policy interventions will serve as windows of opportunities to build better healthcare prospects. “Our healthcare heroes  will no longer fear the hazards, instead become an effective healthcare workforce who are treasured and substantially valued,” he said.

Meanwhile, representatives of the Metro Manila Health Research and Development Consortium (MMHRDC) Prof. Danica Resuello and the Eastern Visayas Health Research and Development Consortium (EVHRDC) Mr. Eduard Paul Paca bagged the 2nd and 3rd place in the competition, respectively. Representative of the Bicol Consortium for Health Research and Development (BCHRD) Dr. Krista Angela Muralla bagged the People’s Choice Award. 

The 3-Minute Pitch to Policymakers competition is conducted by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) as a way to cultivate the presentation and communication skills of researchers and to encourage the translation of research into tangible policies and action. 

A replay of the competition can be accessed through this link.