55 Quezon City lying-in clinics compliant to DOH standards

QUEZON CITY, Philippines —The Quezon City government recently feted 55 private lying-in clinics for complying with the standards set by the Department of Health (DOH) in rendering maternal and child health services.

The lying-ins received the Seal of Excellence award in recognition of their efforts to ensure the health of mothers and their babies.

There are around 80 private lying-in clinics in the city.

Mayor Joy Belmonte said the award inspired other lying-in clinics to improve their services, from only 23 percent in 2016 to 63 percent this year.

Belmonte challenged lying-in clinics and birthing homes in the city to achieve  100-percent compliance by next year.

She commended the awardees as well as partners from the private sector for their commitment in working with the city government to achieve the sustainable development goals of the United Nations for a global mortality ratio of less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.

In Quezon City, Belmonte said the ratio is now at 50, among the lowest in the country.

“We established our maternal and neonatal health council to ensure the collaboration of the public and private sectors to prioritize the needs of mothers and their children,” she said.