IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay (PIA) – The importance of having a community health team up to the barangay (village) level in the entire province of Zamboanga Sibugay, particularly on the issues of maternal and child care was expressed by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Rolando Olmoguez.

In an effort to form a new community health team that will be composed of village officials, midwives, and other health workers who will serve as health watchdogs of children and pregnant women in their respective communities, Olmoguez conducted a session with the various village chieftains and health workers from the municipalities of Payao and Siay.

“I saw the importance of these community health teams to monitor and handle initial health care for the well-being of children and pregnant mothers in every community of Sibugay,” said Olmoguez.

According to Olmoguez, the health teams will be tasked to help in the campaign of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) of the province to reduce maternal death cases and eradicate cases of malnutrition in Zamboanga Sibugay.

On the issue involving cases of birth deliveries being handled by traditional birth attendants or commonly called as “hilot,” Olmoguez said the health sector is already discouraging those “hilot” practitioners to handle birth deliveries, and advised expectant mothers to go to the nearest health facility to ensure they will be handled by medical experts.

“We are already discouraging any birth delivery to be handled by ‘hilot’ because many cases like these resulted to maternal deaths or child deaths due to lack of expertise and facilities during labor,” added Olmoguez.

In year 2010, Olmoguez disclosed that maternal deaths reached 10 live births.

Most cases were caused by obstetric bleeding due to lack of facilities and expertise to handle such complications.

The norm now is, “hilots” are advised by IPHO to join the community health teams in their respective communities to help decrease maternal death cases and malnutrition rate.

“We are advising those who practice hilot to join us in our health teams for a better, healthier, and more improved Sibugay,” said Olmoguez.

It was learned that the IPHO already conducted community health team formation sessions and orientation to almost all municipalities in Zamboanga Sibugay where the goal is the creation of village health teams in the province.