DAVAO CITY – Women’s health advocates appealed in a dialogue with a Quezon City official to recall its ordinance that penalizes violators of the prohibition of home births.
The women’s group, led by Gabriela Women’s Partylist Rep. Emmi De Jesus, held a dialogue with Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte.
Quezon City approved in 2012 Ordinance 2171 which prohibits home births.
The group asserted that the Ordinance might frustrate its own aim of lowering maternal deaths as the lack of affordable and accessible lying-in clinics remains unanswered.
They said the measure creates “more problems than solutions for poor pregnant mothers.”
Gabriela Women’s Partylist filed Resolution 1531 in 2014 that directs the House Committees on Health and Women and Gender Equality to quiz the national policy of the Department of Health that pushes local government units to takes away the option of home births from poor pregnant mothers without guaranteeing the setting up of quality and accessible services for expectant mothers and born babies.
“The theme of International Day of Action for Women’s Health set for tomorrow (May 28) is Respect, Dignity and Empowered Choices, so we in Gabriela advise local governments to ensure mothers and their trusted community health workers like the traditional birth attendants are empowered to assure every child be born in safety and good health. Forcing them to patronize expensive birth centers do not make motherhood safer,” De Jesus said.
She said local governments should review their adherence to this DOH policy which threatens poor women with worsening reproductive health.
