100 midwives deployed in Tawi-Tawi

(Ref: Ali G. Macabalang, BPI-ARMM, Jan. 27, 2010)

COTABATO CITY – The provincial government of Tawi-Tawi has launched an outreach program dubbed as “Project 100 RUBIES” deploying 100 midwives across the province including dozens of villages in islets where lack of health workers has been causing enormous deaths.

RUBIES is an acronym for reaching underserved barangays through initiative for enhancement of services, a derivative from the name of Tawi-Tawi Vice Governor Ruby Sahali-Tan, who earlier conceived and launched the program grand ceremonies attended by dignitaries here last January 23.

Starting from the launching day, Sahali-Tan said, the provincial government will embark on “mass hiring of 100 midwives to be deployed in the most critical and underserved barangays” in the 11 towns, mostly in islands, of Tawi-Tawi.

Tawi-Tawi is one of five component provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which, according to government statistics, profusely lag behind in rural health and medical services.

“Our provincial government is cognizant of the need for a more aggressive approach to address the poor state of maternal and child health services in the province,” the lady vice governor said.

The health department function have been devolved to the ARMM government, but “the provincial government is …also accountable for the health of its constituents and has the mandate to support the regional government and the provincial health office in (their) undertakings to improve the health outcomes in the Region,” she said.

The deployment of 100 midwives is aimed at “reducing mortalities in Tawi-Tawi by halves from 20 to 10 maternal deaths and 159 to 100 infant deaths by the end of 2010,” Sahali-Tan pointed out.

“Tragically, the death of a mother is heartbreaking. It has many consequences, not least of which is the reduced probability of survival of her children and her newborn child is most likely to die too. A mother’s life is so precious and for each baby being born is a gift from God for a family to show affection, love and care,” she stressed.

Citing statistics, she said the ARMM has a maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 320 per 100,000 live-births or nearly double the risk of women elsewhere in the country (172 per 100,000 live-births).

In the entire ARMM, only 42% of the women who died of maternal causes received medical attendance (NSO 2004). The Maternal Mortality Ratio reflects the women’s basic health status, access to health care and the quality of health care in the rural areas, statistics showed.

Meanwhile, Sahali-Tan alongside Sulu Governor Sakur Tan expressed enthusiasm in operating principles of “transparent, consultative and moral governance” of the new ARMM leadership under acting Regional Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong. (AGM/bpi-armm)