The City Health Office, in partnership with the Department of Health, on Friday conducted the ‘Buntis Congress 2023’ at the GSIS Gymnasium in Talomo.
The Buntis Congress, usually a barangay level program, delivers health services to expecting women and couples trying to conceive. However, Friday’s program was celebrated district-wide in Talomo Central.
Over 200 pregnant women from all over the city, particularly from Talomo Central District, were able to avail themselves of pre-natal checkup, laboratory services, HIV screening, ultrasound, dental care, nutrition assessment and counselling, family planning counselling, PhilHealth registration, and other healthcare services free of charge.
Hygiene kits and contraceptives were also distributed to the participants of the program by the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP) and the DOH.
Talomo District Health Center head Dr. Tomas Miguel Ababon, in an interview with the City Information Office, said the district-wide celebration of the Buntis Congress is an initiative of the Talomo Central District, geared at helping expecting women through a healthy pregnancy.
The program also aims to minimize health risks to carrying women as well as to make sure that they give birth to healthy newborns.
“Ang kining Buntis Congress, ang tumong ani niya kay ipahibalo sa tanang buntis na naay serbisyo sa health center na libre. Kay atong unang panahon basta magbuntis ang isa ka babae, isulti gyud na na murag ang iyang isa ka tiil kay naa sa hukay because daghang mga posibilidad mahimo sa pagbuntis (The purpose of this Buntis Congress is to let pregnant women know that there are free services in health centers. This is because before when a woman becomes pregnant, there is an assumption that their life is in already in danger because there are many risks a pregnancy entails),” said Ababon.
Ababon urged couples to plan pregnancy with the help of healthcare professionals. He also invited pregnant women to avail themselves of the healthcare services in the barangay and district health centers.
“Sa tanang buntis, dili lang sa Talomo Central, sa tanang buntis sa tibuok Davao, naa tay libre nga serbisyo sa health center. Nagahatag tag libre nga pre-natal, nagahatag tag libre na laboratory test, nagahatag tag libreng vitamin supplementation, nagahatag tag counselling bahin sa diet ninyo; kung unsa’y likayan, unsay dapat, og sa mga activity pud ninyo kung unsay pwede unsay dili. Actually, sa tibuok nasud, libre ni siya (For all pregnant women, not only in Talomo Central, for all pregnant women in Davao, we have free health center services. We provide free pre-natal, we provide free laboratory tests, we provide free vitamin supplementation, we provide counseling about your diet; what should be avoided, what should be done, and in your activities, what is allowed and what is not. Actually, in the whole country, these are free).” CIO
