Sorsogon City, Philippines – Sorsogon has taken a significant stride toward enhancing maternal care and ensuring safer pregnancies within the province by conducting an Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE) on Emergency Maternal Care and Management of High-Risk Pregnancy from July 25 to 27, 2023, at Villa Isabel Hotel & Resort in Sorsogon City.
The three-day event was organized with the primary objective of empowering healthcare professionals and practitioners to effectively handle emergency situations related to maternal care and high-risk pregnancies. The event was a collaborative effort between the Provincial Health Office, Sorsogon Provincial Hospital, LGUs, and Jhpiego Philippines through its MSD for Mothers Project, Global Grant Program aiming to bolster the province’s healthcare capacity and ensure better outcomes for expectant mothers and their infants.
“The Local Government Units (LGUs) of Sorsogon are committed to improving the well-being and welfare of their constituents. This partnership with Jhpiego, together with various stakeholders and experts to implement initiatives that address the diverse needs of the community, shows that there is a strong focus on healthcare, education, and sustainable development,” said Dr. Edric Ian Vargas, Rural Health Physician of the Field Health Service of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) of Sorsogon.
Dr. Dorothea D. Jarabo, Jhpiego’s local OB-GYN Consultant and one of the key resource speakers during the event, said that this is an essential step in building a safer and more supportive environment for expectant mothers.
“The Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE) is a comprehensive multipurpose evaluating instrument for assessing health care workers in a clinical setting. It gauges competency using objective assessment and direct observation. By equipping healthcare providers with the necessary skills and knowledge, we can significantly reduce the risks associated with high-risk pregnancies and ensure timely and appropriate emergency care when needed,” she added.
Co-facilitating the activity is another specialist in maternal care, Dr. Janice Lo, OB Private Practitioner, who lauded the LGUs’ proactive participation to address maternal health concerns.
“I am impressed by the commitment shown by the Local Government Units of Sorsogon to prioritize maternal care. Sessions like these play a pivotal role in fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement in healthcare practices,” she said.
Ms. Julie Passi, Jhpiego’s Project Officer of MSD for Mothers Project in Sorsogon, expressed her gratitude and stated, “We are deeply grateful to our dedicated healthcare professionals and esteemed facilitators for their unwavering support in making this activity a success. This initiative reflects our collective commitment to prioritize the well-being of mothers and infants within our communities.”
“This active participation from various healthcare facilities, including public hospitals, clinics, and private healthcare providers shows that there is a unified effort towards advancing maternal care in Sorsogon,” she added.
Through this continuing quality improvement process, which was started in 2022, Sorsogon is making remarkable progress in responding to OB emergencies and aiming that pregnant women in the province receive the highest standard of care during pregnancy and childbirth. Furthermore, the Provincial Health Office has successfully published a healthcare bluebook, “Primary Care Management and Algorithms of Common Emergency Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Cases in the Province of Sorsogon”.
This accomplishment was made possible with the valuable support from the MSD for Mothers Global Grant Program through the project, Improving Quality of Maternal Health Care in Health Facilities in the Philippines to the implementation of Universal Health Coverage in Sorsogon.
