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Working together for family planning By Ederlinda Fernandez Women’s Feature Service
Lamitan, Basilan––Because of her hypertension, Najiya Dansalan of Barangay Limo-ok in Lamitan, Basilan Province used to fear for her life every time she was scheduled to give birth. She and her husband, Abdulla Dansalan, a barangay councilman and Imam, would also be concerned about the demands of their growing family of four. As Abdulla put it, “Having too many children is like carrying 50 kilos while working.” Diana Flores, a 35-yearold mother of six, tried various family planning (FP) methods after giving birth to her third child—but she gave them up due to side effects. “(Contraceptive) pills made me dizzy while the intra-uterine device (IUD) caused sleeplessness,” she says. Despite their different circumstances, Najiya and Diana both made the bold decision to undergo bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) after being convinced of the procedure’s safety as a lasting and permanent method of family planning (FP). Their decision came after attending health education sessions given
by the Community Health Action Team (CHAT) and FP counselling sessions where all FP methods are explained. Now, they are also advocates or volunteer CHAT members who share their own experiences. Family planning options As of 2011, about 112 women in Lamitan, Basilan have undergone BTL. Before, this procedure was not accepted and nobody would dare try it. More importantly, there is no compulsion to FP. “Even if the woman has already expressed acceptance of BTL [but] later on [changes] her mind, we… offer her other options,” midwife Virgie Cadaño points out. The Lamitan District Hospital has four doctornurse-midwife teams trained to provide BTL services, with 15 midwives trained in IUD insertion and intensive FP counselling. Because of this, couples now have more options to choose from as well as better access to services. Marjorie Calunod, a housewife with two children, opted for IUD. During one of her prenatal visits at the Limo-ok Health Center, she expressed to Virgie her desire to space her pregnan-
cy. After Virgie explained the different FP methods to her, Marjorie chose IUD. “[Virgie] inserted my IUD at the health center 45 days after I delivered my second child..” When asked if placing the IUD is painful, she would reply, “I felt no pain at all. It is more painful to deliver a baby.” Rosemarie Estrada, the CHAT head in Limo-ok, also uses IUD. She got married at 17, and now at 40, has eight children and two grandchildren. She did not practice FP before because of the many misconceptions about it. However, after attending health education sessions and becoming a member-volunteer, she was enlightened. She credits the CHAT for the change in attitude of the barangay women on FP, saying, “Siguro kung may CHAT na noon, di naging walo ang anak ko (If there had been CHAT then, I wouldn’t have had eight children).” A model health center Not only is the CHAT an active advocate of women and children’s health, but under the supervision of midwife Virgie, it has become a total health service provider and partner. The CHAT works with the Limo-ok Health Center,
which serves the women of the barangay “24/7,” says Virgie. “We even take care of a woman’s children while she’s having her BLT and recuperating,” she says. With 40 percent of the barangay’s 4,000-strong total population belonging to the Muslim faith, the health center’s services and advocacies must be sensitive to different cultural beliefs. For example, it is taboo to expose a woman’s private parts even during delivery, Virgie says. So at the health center, a drape is used to cover the birthing woman, especially for Muslim clients. Residents of other barangays go to their health center, which is in a catchment area. Basic medicine, such as those for fever and cough, are available at the health center. The barangay also provides the CHAT members with a transportation allowance to attend seminars, and T-shirts every time they have major activities or health events. “Sa ibang barangay, milyun-milyon ang halaga ng health center pero walang serbisyo. Kami, maliit lang, pero 24 hours ang serbisyo (In other barangays, the health center cost millions to build but there are no services available.
Our health center is small, but we provide 24-hour service),” Noel “Kenny” Fores, barangay captain of Limo-ok, says proudly. The cooperation among barangay officials and other stakeholders has made Limo-ok a model for other barangays in Lamitan. Lamitan City Health Officer Dr. Vicente P. Yu says that aside from serving the residents of other barangays, Limo-ok is a “model birthing station” and practices the Active Management of the Third Stage of Labor (AMTSL), like Barangay Colonia and Sta. Clara, both in Lamitan. A working partnership In 2011, Lamitan recorded a zero maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate, according to Dr. Yu. Aside from having a well-equipped City Health Office, the additional capability building training for maternal and child health coordinators as well as for FP coordinators is a contributing factor. But most noteworthy of all is the success of FP efforts in Limo-ok. In 2011, for instance, there were 52 new acceptors of BTL. It is an example of what can be accomplished elsewhere, says Dr. Yu: “It really shows how cooperation between
stakeholders can help the project.” An important part of this is the role played by the volunteers. With 45 barangays, a total of about 90,000 residents, and a lack of doctors, Lamitan City benefits greatly from the efforts of CHAT members, particularly in advocacy and information dissemination on maternal and child health. “We have two to three [vacancies] for doctors but there are no takers. That’s why we appreciate the help of… the CHAT,” says Dr. Yu. Barangay Limo-ok in Lamitan City, Basilan has shown an efficiently working network for FP. This success is due to the working partnership among the LGU, volunteers, and other sectors of the community. “The most important benefit of CHAT is that it bridged the [residents] to us medical people,” Dr. Yu concludes. “Before, there [was] a perception that we are inaccessible, masyadong mataas, di maabot (too high-brow, unreachable), and not only because of the perceived expensive treatment from medical doctors. Now they know we are tao din (people too) whom they can approach for their health concerns.”
SPED student sees ‘beauty and goodness’ even in darkness
By Leilani S. Junio of PNA
THOUGH nine-year-old Special Education (SPED) pupil Joshua Garcia cannot see, he was one of the almost 10,000 regular students who trooped early during the first day of classes on Monday at the Commonwealth Elementary School in Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City. “I am very excited and happy because I will have the chance to be with my
friends and my teachers again,” said Joshua, a visually impaired grade 3 pupil, in an interview with the Philippines News Agency. He was then attending his SPED class wherein he uses an improvised Braille as a method to help him read. The improvised Braille was designed for him to fit his need to read the letters in bigger perspective. According to Joshua, he always looks forward to attending school because he believes that education
is the key for him to reach his dream to be a school principal someday. “I come early to the school because I am very eager to get in touch with my teachers, classmates and school friends who are all nice to me,” he said with a smile while holding my hand as if we have known each other for a long time. He told this writer that while he was born with visual disability -- his two eyes cannot see anything -- he is not regretting that condition because it is in his blindness that he sees
the heart and feel the love of people around him. “I may not be able to see in darkness, but I see the beauty and love of people around me and who care for me,” he said as some fellow students who were having their recess break approached and greeted him. “I am happy when I come here to school because my classmates and school friends always approach me and they guide me as I walk along with my guardian,” he shared. “Joshua is a good See student, page 11
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