TITLE:
Health Status and Programs Implemented by the Provincial Government of Catanduanes in Bicol Region, Philippines
AUTHORS:
Marilyn B. Panti
KEYWORDS:
Health Status and Program Implementation, Service Delivery, Mixed-Methods Research
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.8 No.5,
May
29,
2020
ABSTRACT: As the world grapples with various health threats and pandemics, implementation
and assessment of the delivery of health services especially in emerging
economies is vital to promote health accessibility, coverage, quality and
continuity. This study determined the status in the actual service delivery on
health implemented in the Rural Health Units (RHU) of Catanduanes, a
typhoon-prone area in the Philippines facing the vast Pacific Ocean. The
mixed-methods of research were employed in the study primarily using
documentary analysis, Key Informant Interview (KII) and focus group discussions
(FGD). Results show that there was an increasing trend for the past four years
in the incidence of preventable diseases, such as hypertension, trauma, all
types of wounds and upper urinary tract infection and increasing rate in
pre-natal mortality even when infant deliveries were no longer permitted at
home but, rather, done in hospitals or RHU with basic emergency maternal
obstetric and neonatal care (Bermonc) facilities; and an increasing rate in the
incidence of diseases in infant mortality which can be associated to hygiene, (e.g.
diarrhea). The provincial government, in response to identified gaps in health
programs of the province, crafted a Province-wide Investment Plan for Health (PIPH)
that transformed local plan into multi-sectoral endeavor that involved unified
efforts of all the sectors. However, despite all the efforts, there are still
cases identified in the health status indicators like pre-natal mortality that
remain to be high. Health Programs of the department of health (DOH) being implemented
along with to service delivery of the RHU in the 11 towns of the province
include intensified disease prevention and control; child health; maternal
health; lifestyle and risk prevention; and health promotion and advocacy.