Free no more? Talisay birth facility to impose fees soon

CEBU, Philippines - Pregnant women admitted at Talisay City's Health Maternity and Birthing Center will soon be charged as the city intends to impose fees on the facility's delivery services that used to be actually free.

City Councilor Richard Francis Aznar, chairman of the committee on health and services, said the city's birthing facility will no longer be totally free but still affordable to the Talisaynons.

Under the proposed Ordinance No. 2014-26-1, the patient or her representative shall pay to the City Treasurer's Office for the use of the Talisay birthing center in the amount of P1,500 for patients who are residents of the city; P3,500 for patients who are not residents of the city; and P 600 for standard payment for the newborn screening for mothers who are either residents or non-residents of the city.

However, Aznar said the amount is very minimal compared to what is being charged in private safe-birthing clinics which, he said, charge P10,000 to P15,000.

Aznar said out of the P1,500 payment made by the residents of the city, P500 shall accrue to the City's General Fund under the Special Account Name: Operation of City of Talisay Birthing Center.

Out of the P3,500 paid by non-residents, P2,500 will go to the City's General Fund under the Special Account Name: Operation of the City of Talisay Birthing Center.

Aznar said the excess amount of P1,000 paid shall serve as honorarium for the rural health unit personnel on duty who assisted or attended in the delivery of the baby.

Aznar's proposal said the city government wants to set guidelines in the implementation of safe motherhood for the purpose of eradicating or, at least, reducing maternal deaths and/or illnesses of mothers who are undergoing prenatal, delivery and postnatal treatment in Talisay.

Under Section 3 of the proposed ordinance, it is mandatory that all prenatal delivery and postnatal services shall be performed only by skilled birth attendants who may either be a licensed physician, nurse or midwife.

It also added that all childbirths shall only be done in hospitals, birthing centers or barangay health centers/lying-in centers where highly trained health-care professionals could handle the delivery better.

Employing the services of traditional birth attendant (hilot) for prenatal, delivery and postnatal services on mothers shall be penalized.

The first offense will be meted with revocation of the privilege as recognized traditional birth attendant (hilot) in the city; the second and third offense will be fined P1,500 and P2,500, respectively.