A party-list legislator has found a way to help barangay health workers (BHWs) in Metro Manila cope with their mobility problems because the government do not provide them with transport allowances.
Meanwhile, as the midwifery profession celebrates its 100th year anniversary in the country, Kabayan party-list Rep. Ron Salo on Friday filed House Bill 3882 seeking to strengthen the role of midwives in the country’s health care system.
Wellness party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co said there are about 1,800 BHWs in the National Capital Region, but none of them are getting work-related transportation allowance.
“This is why barangay health and Wellness party-list are grateful to the Move It of Grab Philippines for offering transportation free of charge to the BHWs in Metro Manila for the entire month of October this year,” Co said.
Co is chair of the House Committee on the Welfare of Children and secretary-general of the Party-list Coalition Foundation, Inc.
Co quantified the direct savings impact of the Move It free rides on the daily finances of BHWs.
“Barangay health workers have had to bear the cost of transport fares, a burden made heavier by recent fare hikes. From P10 a few months ago, the PUJ fare was raised to P11 then hiked further to P12 for the first four kilometers. That P2.00 hike is a 20 percent increase from P10 to P12,” she said.
“BHW areas served cannot all be reached by walking because some barangays areas are large and some places can be accessed safely only by motorcycle. BHWs sometimes do not have access to or use of barangay motor vehicles,” Co explained.
Salo said his bill “does not only strengthen the role of midwives in the health system, but also promotes the optimal health of mothers and their babies.”
“When the midwives are greatly c pacitated and their welfare are taken care of, they can also effectively take care of their patients and prevent the incidence of maternal deaths,” he added.
HB 3882 outlines several amendments to the existing Midwifery Act of 1992, which aims to promote and protect the rights and welfare of midwives.
The measure defines the scope of the practice of midwifery, with particular emphasis on the expanding functions of midwives in the community healthcare service.
“Because of the growing complexity of healthcare in our country, the functions of our health care providers are also expanding. For example, a few years ago, the services of midwives in our country were only limited to birthing services. Now, midwives also engage in newborn care, postnatal care, family planning, and newborn screening services. Thus, the law should reflect that,” Salo noted.
The bill further aims to expand the midwifery curriculum to a “four-year Bachelor of Science degree”, citing inadequacies in the two-year curriculum in preparing students to deliver competent midwifery services.
“It has been 30 years since the enactment of the Midwifery Act of 1992. Since then, the practice of midwifery has greatly expanded such that a two-year diploma curriculum is insufficient to teach future midwives adequate midwifery service,” he said.
“There is thus a need to increase the standards of the midwifery curriculum to a four-year bachelor of science degree in order for the Filipino midwife to become well-equipped and highly skilled in offering quality healthcare services and be up to par with international standards in the midwifery practice,” Salo explained.
He further noted that increasing the curriculum to four years will also allow the midwives in the government service to qualify for higher positions as they shall be considered professionals pursuant to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) guidelines.
“Our proposed measure also aims to upgrade the midwife plantilla positions in public hospitals; provide support for midwife practitioners to reach the underprivileged childbearing women with the highest risk of poor health outcomes; increase midwife-to-patient ratio; and mandate the Board of Midwifery to monitor the condition of the profession and ensure quality midwifery education,” Salo said.
The filing of HB 3882 coincided with the 100 year-anniversary of the Midwifery profession in the country and the 48th Annual Convention of the Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines (IMAP).
IMAP, the largest association of midwives in country, has gathered thousands of its members for its annual convention from 20-22 October 2022.
