Local leaders urged to keep an open mind about RH Bill, PopCom-7 says
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY (August 10) -- A pro-RH (Reproductive Health) Bill advocate urged local leaders in Central Visayas including Cebu to keep an open mind about the controversial bill and allow people to engage in active discussion about it.
Population Commission (PopCom)-7 Regional Director Atty. Bruce Ragas said the people need to be informed on the contents of the bill rather than hastily pass a judgment that it is “anti-life” because it promotes the use of artificial planning methods such as condom use.
“How can condom be abortifacient when the sperm and egg have not met yet so no life was conceived?” Ragas posed this question to reporters during the weekly Kapihan sa PIA that tackled the RH Bill.
The Church has totally opposed the bill which is now on its second reading in Congress.
Ragas admitted they have a standing order to publicly support the bill and educate the public about it as the Department of Health (DOH) recently issued a favorable stand on the matter.
Ragas said one of the urgent reasons why the bill should be supported is the rising incidence of maternal mortality rate in the country which is one of the highest in Asia.
“The Philippines is a signatory to the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan which seeks to lower maternal mortality rate from 60 to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births to 45 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2015. With that target, we need to have a unified national policy in the delivery of RH services,” Ragas said.
The PopCom-7 chief also said the people have the right to access sufficient RH services which at the moment, depends on the local chief executives whether health services is a priority due to local health devolution.
Ragas said the population officers in Central Visayas have already come up with a manifesto expressing their support to the RH Bill which will be submitted to the League of Population Officers. (PIA 7-Cebu)
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DOH-7 says 5% rise of TB cases in C. Visayas per qrtr is positive
By Fayette C. Riñen
‘due to increased public awareness to seek eatly consultation’
CEBU CITY, August 10 (PIA) -- A rise of five percent of new tuberculosis (TB) cases is seen in Central Visayas every quarter, this year but the Department of Health (DOH) -7 considers the increased incidence rate to their successful advocacy drive on TB prevention.
Jocelyn Tabotabo, DOH-7 Nurse Coordinator of the National TB Program said their consistent education campaign to the public to seek early medical consultation for chronic cough and their partnership with the private hospitals and physicians bore positive fruit as reflected in more reporting of new TB cases which can then be treated.
“A five percent increase every quarter would mean new 50 TB cases for the past three months,” according to Tabotabo.
Last year, the DOH-7 recorded 12,032 TB cases of which the bulk of the cases come from Cebu Province with 3,897 followed by Bohol with 2,157 cases. Third placer Negros Oriental had 1,954 TB cases and Siquijor with 175 reported cases.
The Cebu Province data excluded the cases in Cebu City which recorded 1,881 TB cases followed by Mandaue City with 1,077 cases and lastly, Lapulapu City with 891 cases, this is learned.
TB is the seventh leading cause of morbidity and mortality rate in Central Visayas but in the national level, TB ranks sixth in leading cause of illness and deaths, Tabotabo declared.
Tabotabo said that apart from their regular education and information campaign on TB, they have also partnered with private physicians and hospitals for case detection rate.
For private physicians, Tabotabo said they asked them to refer positive TB cases to rural health units or barangay health centers because the government provides free medicines for TB treatment.
But for private hospitals which have partnered with the DOH-7 in a program dubbed ‘Private-Public Mixed DOTS,” these hospitals establish own TB unit where they provide free consultation and complete drug regimen courtesy of the DOH-7, this is said.
Tabotabo advised people who have cough for more than two weeks to seek early medical consultation in their nearest barangay health center because TB is treatable. Other manifestations of the disease include fever, chest and back pain, hemoptysis and sudden weight loss. (PIA 7-Cebu)