TACLOBAN CITY – In response to the nationwide campaign to reduce if not eradicate infant and mother deaths during birth, the provincial government of Leyte recently opened birthing centers in the towns of Sta. Fe and Palo.

Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho “Icot” L. Petilla, who led the inauguration of the two birthing clinics, said the facilities will provide quality and affordable maternal health care services to the towns’ respective residents – so that expectant mothers will no longer resort to the traditional “hilots,” and thereby reduce risks of mother and infant mortality.

The newly opened birthing centers are located in Sta. Fe and Palo, Leyte.

The new birthing centers would provide, among others, pre-natal support to local residents and in neighboring areas, it was gathered.

In his message, Petilla said that in the country, thousands of mothers die during and after child birth due to poor health practices.

In Region 8, infant mortality rate is at 36 per 1,000 live births, and maternal mortality rate is at 231 per 100,000 live births, he said.

It was learned that the main reason why many still prefer the home-based delivery is because health centers in municipalities also lack birthing facilities.

On the same occasion, the provincial government through the governor complemented the inauguration of the birthing centers with a distribution of PhilHealth cards to the pre-qualified indigent families in Sta. Fe and Palo towns.