CEBU CITY – Senator Pia S. Cayetano on Wednesday acknowledged the important role of community medical clinics in delivering much-needed primary healthcare services to the people.
The senator made this statement in an interview with reporters during her visit to Glory Reborn, a privately run birthing clinic that serves poor communities in Cebu City.
“All over the world, it is recognized that the best kind of intervention is primary health care, and that includes prenatal and childbirth services,” Cayetano said.
The senator recalled that the country had a high maternal mortality rate a decade ago prior to the passage of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act (RA 10354), which Cayetano defended and helped pass in 2012.
But even with the passage of the landmark law, she said maternal healthcare remains inaccessible to women in many communities, especially those located in far-flung areas.
She added that the situation is compounded by the lack of medical professionals serving in rural areas, including doctors, nurses, and midwives.
“Maternal deaths are preventable deaths. Most of these happen when there is no access to prenatal care, which would have allowed the patient to know ahead if there are complications in her pregnancy,” she told reporters in a mix of Bisaya and English.
Cayetano said that midwives in birthing clinics are trained to know and recommend when a pregnant patient needs to go to a hospital for further medical care. The referral itself is crucial and can help save lives, she pointed out.
She also noted that even at the heart of urban areas like Metro Cebu and Metro Manila, there are pregnant women from poor communities who may not be aware of the importance of going to the healthcare center for regular checkups.
“There may be those who had unplanned pregnancies who will just seek maternal care when they are about to give birth. And so it’s a big deal that we have clinics like this in the heart of the neighborhood to help these women,” she added.
The senator acknowledged the contribution of community clinics like Glory Reborn for serving poor and marginalized women in Cebu.
“The lives that Glory Reborn has changed, the families that have been blessed to know them – these contributions are immeasurable,” Cayetano stressed.
She also cited Glory Reborn founder, Hillary Overton. “Hilary is a role model. She is not a Filipina, but she fell in love with the Philippines – with Cebu in particular. Her first child is a Filipino, she adopted a child who has epilepsy. So she really has a heart of gold,” the senator shared.
“And then [Hillary] had her own child. She and her family live their lives serving the Cebuano community. So I’d just like to highlight and give support to people like them,” she concluded.#
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