In 2021, the city has recorded 22 maternal deaths.
Dr. Julinda Acosta, CHO Technical Division head cited some common causes of maternal death including hemorrhage and eclampsia or high blood pressure.
Maternal deaths, according to her, are those who die during pregnancy, delivery, and within the postpartum period.
The City Information Office (CIO) in its report said, Buhangin District had the most maternal deaths with four, followed by Toril-A and Bunawan districts, which each had three deaths.
Talomo South, Tugbok, and Toril-B districts, each logged two deaths even as districts B, A, Baguio, Baguio, Paquibato, Calinan, and Talomo North registered one maternal death.
The CHO conducted consultative meetings on safe motherhood program updates for all district health staff to address low-quality prenatal care.
The creation of a District FB Page for Pregnant Women in the community was also recommended as a venue for stakeholders to get advocacy updates on prenatal care and programs and access online consultation.
The CHO also planned to create a District Safe Motherhood Program Hotline and schedule a district/barangay safe motherhood services mobile clinic that includes the provision of a vehicle, nutrition counseling, oral health services, laboratory examination, and micronutrient supplementation. Iron supplement tablets for pregnant women were to be procured by the CHO.
A consultation meeting on the safe motherhood program for all private midwives with lying inn clinics was conducted, where referrals and service provision, health information system, and recording and reporting were also discussed.
The CHO's ongoing maternal care and services include prenatal care, intrapartum care, delivery outcome, and postpartum care.
The barangay/district health centers also provide nutritional status for prenatal care through measurement of body mass index, and immunization against Tetanus-Diphtheria.
They also give micronutrient supplementation of iron with folic acid; one deworming tablet; STI testing (syphilis, hepatitis B, and HIV); laboratory testing for complete blood count or hemoglobin and hematocrit count; and gestational diabetes.