Ordinance to reinforce maternal, childcare pushed
LINGAYEN–The Provincial Health Board (PHB), led by Dr. George Calugay, is seeking the passage of a provincial ordinance that will strengthen maternal and child health care.
Appearing before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) session last September 3, Calugay lobbied for the passage of the proposed Provincial Ordinance No. 27-2012, “An ordinance establishing and adopting set of measures and systems supporting Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) strategy of the Department of Health (DOH).”
Calugay said the ordinance will enjoin the support of all the local government units (LGUs) in the province to implement the MNCHN strategy in order to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rate rapidly in line with the country’s Millennium Development Goals.
In 2011, the province recorded 33 maternal deaths and 140 infant deaths.
The MNCHN is based on the strategy set by the World Health Organization and the DOH which “identifies coordinated intervention at each life stage towards improvements of intermediate health outcomes such as antenatal care, facility based delivery, contraceptive prevalence rate, and fully immunized children.”
Calugay explained that the strategy incorporates the concept of family planning which, he stressed, is about “volunteerism and informed choice not intimidation.”
After the SP session, Calugay said his board will work on amendments and expressed optimism that the ordinance will be eventually approved. –Johanne R. Macob
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