Congress mulled for indigent pregnant moms

By Jason B. Neola NAGA CITY --- The local government unit here wants to arrest cases of maternal deaths in poor communities brought about by pregnancy and childbirth delivery. Reports said that the number of deaths in the least economically resilient communities (LERCs) is higher than in any area of the city as most of the pregnant mothers in impoverished areas have limited resources in gaining access to improve their knowledge on safe childbirth delivery. “Inadequate knowledge on maternal care before, during and after child birth delivery also put the mothers at great risk,” says Dr. Joen Sebastian, a community medical doctor who partners with the Ginhawang Nagueño and the City Social Welfare and Development Office in organizing the safe motherhood congress which was conducted last July 25, this year. It was also observed that expectant mothers in poor areas are hardly provided with financial assistance and other resources being made available by the government. The Ginhawang Nagueño (GN) program was created by Mayor John G. Bongat under EO 2014-094. The program is holistic in nature that addresses sanitation, education, health and nutrition, and livelihood needs. It now covers 25 communities in 14 barangays with 800 families belonging to the poorest of the poor. GN Program Manager Eric Jason Salvino said it can be expected that thru the holding of the safe motherhood congress may help decrease the number of maternal deaths in poor communities. Aside from raising the awareness on safe motherhood and responsible parenthood, the activity also aims to identify the teenage pregnant mothers in LERCs so that they can be provided with linkages for support from the City Population and Nutrition Office (CPNO) and the Adolescent Care Unit of the Bicol Medical Center. The activity, which was conducted in the form of seminar cum medical check-up, has the following subject matters: antenatal and postnatal care, responsible parenthood and family planning, First 1000 days of life, blood-typing and urinalysis dipstick, blood pressure monitoring and check-up with Doppler and vaccination, nutritional counselling and teenage pregnancy counselling. Lectures are provided by competent personnel from CPNO, Naga City Hospital, City College of Naga, City Health Office, and the Bicol Medical Center.