The newly renovated birthing center in Barangay Don Andres Soriano in Toledo City. | Contributed Photo
TOLEDO CITY, Cebu – Mariel Tanael was teary-eyed when she first held her newborn for a cuddle. Her baby boy was born after nine months of intensive prenatal care.
Tanael safely delivered a healthy baby boy at the newly renovated and refurbished Don Andres Soriano (DAS) Health Center and Lying-in Clinic, Carmen Copper Corporation (CCC), a mining company based in Toledo City, recently turned over to the barangay.
The project is expectd to improve the delivery of basic healthcare programs and services to the residents, especially mother and children in the barangay.
The two-storey facility houses the lying-in clinic at the ground floor and a health center on its second floor. It was completely renovated and refurbished with additional equipment, furniture and fixture to better serve its clients.
“Katong nanganak ko diri sa akong kinamaguwangan three years ago, nakaingon nami daan nga naa mi sa mga maayong kamot. Maayo ug buotan ang mga staff diri, nindot sab ug moderno ang pasilidad. Labaw sa tanan, duol ra sa among balay,” Tanael said.
(When I gave birth to my eldest daughter three years ago, we knew we were in good hands. The staff competent while the center is equipped with modern facilities. Most of all, it is close to where we live.)
The DAS Health Center and Lying-in Clinic is the only public birthing facility that offers newborn screening. It is also the only public lying-in clinic that operates 24/7 in the entire Toledo City, said Head Midwife Annaliza Oamilda.
Pregnant mothers and their babies get medical assistance from birthing center personnel.| Contributed Photo
The facility is operated by the barangay and the Department of Health (DOH). It conducts more than 200 prenatal check-ups and performs more than 300 immunizations per month.
Two midwives and five BNS are stationed to serve the residents of DAS and adjacent barangays of Cantabaco, Poog, Bunga and Media Once.
The presence of the facility has significantly lowered the prevalence of home birth in DAS, said Oamilda.
In the past, she said, 4 out of 10 women give birth at home, but this has significantly decreased to a 1:10 ratio.
Home birth is dangerous because this exposes mothers to risks of infection, bleeding and still birth.
“Kompleto ang atong health center to support natural birth. Makaingon ta nga daghan ang ganahan manganak diri kay moderno atong pasilidad ug amo gyud silang giatiman sugod sa ilang pagmabdos, hangtod sa ilang pagpanganak ug hangtod makompleto ang immunization sa ilang mga bata,” Oamilda said.
(Our facility can sufficiently support natural birth. We are preferred by mothers because of our complete and modern facility and because of the intensive prenatal care we provide them until after they give birth.)
“Nagpasalamat mi sa Carmen Copper sa paghatag niining birthing center niadtong 2014 ug sa pagpa-rehabilitate niini karong tuiga aron makahatod mi og labing maayong serbisyo sa mga Toledanos,” Oamilda said.
(We are grateful to Carmen Copper for donating this birthing center in 2014 and for rehabilitating it this year so we can provide better health services to the Toledanos.) /dcb