SOME 600 pregnant mothers participated in the 2016 Buntis Day at CSI Stadia on March 10 that had for its theme “Tamang Kaalaman Para sa Ligtas at Malusog na Pagbubuntis.”

Under the auspices of by the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society of Region 1 (POGS R1) led by its founding president Betha Fe M. Castillo, Philippine Medical Society (PMS) Pangasinan Chapter headed by Jose de Guzman of the North Central Chapter and the City Health Office under the supervision of its officer-in- charge Sheila Sabado, the pregnant mothers were given free pre-natal check-up, counseling, prescriptions and obstetrical ultrasound.

They also received free CBC, blood typing, urinalysis, blood sugar checkup and lectures on pre-natal care, good nutrition, breastfeeding, and HIV in pregnancy including a number of freebies and raffle draws for pregnant mothers and their babies.

Pregnant mothers also competed in the Search for Ms. Buntis 2016 and for the first time, the pregnant mothers were introduced to the dance exercise for ‘buntis’ dubbed as salakog, an Ilocano acronym for ‘sala ti nasikog’, which means a dance for pregnant mothers.

“This is another project of POGS R1 and launched today simultaneously all over Region 1,” said Castillo.

Castillo emphasized the need for pregnant mothers to undergo pre-natal checkups to reduce the risk of common complications of pregnancy that can lead to death if unattended like hemorrhage, hypertension and infection.

“We want our mothers to be healthy during their pregnancy and to make sure that their babies are also healthy while they are still in their mother’s womb. This is our goal which is in line with the millennium goal of the government for zero mortality among pregnant mothers,” said Castillo.

“And we are thankful to Mayor Belen T. Fernandez because she is very receptive to our advocacy for the past two years that we have been doing this in our city and even before when she was not yet the city mayor,” added Castillo.

Buntis Day is now on its 13th year since its launching in 2004 nationwide.

“We are thankful to our doctors for their time and effort in looking after the welfare of our ‘buntis’. For our part we have tripled the budget for our health programs and very soon we will have our own diagnostic center which will offer free services for blood typing, CBC, urinalysis, blood sugar analysis, among others,” said Fernandez.

Pregnant mothers who had not yet issued PhilHealth cards were also enrolled during the Buntis Day. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO)

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