ANGELES CITY — Nagpahayag ng pagtutol at naghain ng apela ang nasa 100 indignant private practicing midwives o Komadrona na may-ari ng 300 birthing stations sa Gitnang Luzon at kumakatawan sa tatlong grupo sa tanggapan ng Department of Health (DOH) na i-review ang Circular No. 2021-005 na pumipigil sa kanila na mag-administer ng health care sa mga nagbubuntis na kababaihan kasabay ng takot na tumaas ang maternal and neonatal deaths sa bansa.
Mula sa temang “Empower Birthing Clinics To Improve Rural Healthcare Access, Referrals & Disease Monitoring” ay nag-join force ang mga grupo ng Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines (IMAP), Philippine Society of Private Midwife Clinic Owners (PSPMCO) at Private Practicing Midwives Association (PPMA) sa ginanap na media forum noong Agosto 23, 2023 sa Kandi Palace, Barangay Malabanias, Angeles City.
Ang nasabing mga grupo ay may-ari ng mahigit sa 300 birthing stations sa Central Luzon at mahigit isang libong birthing facilities naman sa buong bansa kung saan inilahad ng mga ito sa mga Pampanga-based media practitioners sa pangunguna ni Central Luzon Media Association (CLMA)- Pampanga Chapter President Arnel San Pedro ang kanilang mga sentimyento kaugnay ng naturang department circular; “Adherence to the Definition of Low Risk and High Risk Pregnancy in the Implementation of Administrative Order No. 2012-0012 – Rules and Regulations Governing the New Classification of Hospitals and other Health Facilities in the Philippines” na inaprubahan noon ni former DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III.
Nagpahayag din ng pagkadismaya ang grupo hinggil sa kabiguan ng Philippine Health Corporation (PhilHealth) na maayos ang bills ng mga inang nanganganak.
Nabatid na ang IMAP ay mayroong 65,000 to 75,000 licensed midwives na nagbibigay ng extending services sa 547 birthing centers sa buong bansa.
Pahayag ni Patricia M.Gomez, IMAP National Executive Director, ang mga midwife ang siyang nagpapatupad ng halos lahat ng mga programa ng DOH partikular na sa public sector.
Ang position paper na address kay DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa ay ipinapaliwanag dito na ang naturang administrative order ay salungat sa Republic Act 10354 ( Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012) na pumupuksa sa discriminatory practices, laws and policies that infringe on a person’s exercise of reproductive health rights which guarantees universal access to medically-safe, non-abortifacient, effective, legal, affordable and quality reproductive health care services.
“This policy apparently inhibits the freedom and right of choice of the primigravid (1st born) and multigravid (5th born) women to access quality maternal and neonatal services which are holistically given by midwife-owned birthing clinics,” wika nila.
Ang position paper na may petsang August 10, 2023 ay pirmado ng grupo ng IMAP, PSPMCO at PPMA national, regional and provincial chapter officers ay nagsasaad ng kanilang mariing pagtutol sa implementasyon ng inilabas na administrative orders.
Dumalo rin sa forum kasama ni Gomez sina Amethyst Castro, President IMAP/PPMA – Region 3; Gertrudes Luderico, President of PSPMCO Inc.; Nely Cuenca,1st Vice President, Bulacan Chapter; Corazon Dela Cruz, 2nd Vice President Nueva Ecija Chapter; Cecilia Paguio, Bataan Chapter; Zenaida Ferrer, Auditor,Tarlac Chapter; Gwendolyn Tungol, Board of Director, Pampanga Chapter and Flocerfida De Castro, Board Director, Olongapo Chapter.
“The maternal and neonatal deaths must be addressed properly, the order will not help to address the concern but rather worsen its number because instead of having delivery in a midwife-owned birthing clinics with skilled birth attendant, they might avail home deliveries under the services of “hilots”, that are now happening on some parts of the region,” ayon kay Gomez.
“Ang tumataas na bilang ng kaso ng Cesarean section also attributes the referrals of the primigravid and multigravid cases,” aniya.
Kaya naman ang Department Circular 2021-005 Section II.C categorizing the primigravid (G1) and grand multigravid (G5 or more) and Section II.E pregnancy among women who are more than 35 years old regardless of parity as High Risk ay mahigpit nilang tinututulan at hindi inaayunan.
“We will never achieve our vision to heal as one if we will not work as one on good health and well-being to “Reduce Infant and Child Mortality and Improved Maternal Health,” pahayag ng grupo.
Samantala, ayon kay Joseph Ponce, former city councilor ng Angeles City at mayroon kontak sa tanggapan ni Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health na kaniya nang inendorso ang kanilang apela sa senador.
Sa natanggap niyang text message mula kay Gelo Villar, Chief of Staff ng senador, itinakda sa August 31 ang pakikipagpulong ng mga ito kay Senator Go via via video conference.
