Batac gov't eyes MOA with MMMH for complicated pregnancies

By Dominic Dela Cruz

Staff reporter

Batac City—The city government here expects to enter an agreement with the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center MMMH-MC to tackle complicated pregnancies here.

To achieve this, the Sangguniang Panlungsod here authorized Batac mayor Albert D. Chua to represent the city government in negotiating a memorandum of agreement with the Batac hospital. Dr. Ma. Lourdes Otayza, MMMH chief of hospital, will represent the hospital.

Batac councilor Dr. Medeldorf Gaoat, who moved for the authorization, said the hospital should provide more advanced maternal and newborn care for complicated pregnancies referred by the Batac City Maternal and Child Health Care Clinic (BEMONC)/Lying Inn Clinic.

Mr. Gaoat, who chairs the committee on health, said that the BEMONC is a certified health facility which provides obstetric and neonatal care only to normal or uncomplicated cases.

In view of this, they will refer high-risk pregnancies identified during prenatal consultation to MMMH, Mr. Gaoat explained. He added that BEMONC does not have the facility and expertise to deal with complicated pregnancies.

He added that BEMONC is still applying for its accreditation for the Maternity Care Package (MCP) at the Philippine Insurance Corporation and to avail of this accreditation, there is a need for a MOA between the two parties to admit referred cases from the City Health Office (CHO).

After which, the city government of Batac will also apply for its accreditation from PhilHealth, Mr. Gaoat stated.

“Kayat mi met kuma nga no adda pannakabalin nan to ket dagitay saan a kumplikado a pasiente mi ket umay dan to kuma metla aganak idiay lying-in clinic,” Mr. Gaoat said.

Batac vice mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta, for his part said PhilHealth already granted an accreditation to the lying-in clinic and it also has a license to operate. However, he stressed that the clinic still needs an accreditation a provider for the birthing facility.

“Tapnu dagitay normal nga aganak ket ditoy da lattan tapnu ma-decongest dita hospital tayo,” Mr. Nalupta stressed.

He also disclosed that the Batac government has invested millions for PhilHealth enrollees, and in this process, he said the city government needs the capitation fund to return to the city through the lying-in clinic.

“Ngem iti problema, dakdakkel kuma iti sumrek a capitation fund no agop-operate daytoy lying-in clinic tayon imbes a mapmapan da iti sabali nga hospital ket dumakkel kuma met iti income iti city health office tayo ket mabalin nga usaren para iti pangpa istilo ken paggatang kadagiti facilities and equipment iti clinic tayo,” he stated.