A total of 55 private lying-In clinics out of 80-plus registered and located in Quezon City were recognized by the QC government, with Seal of Excellence awards for being fully compliant with the standards of the Department of Health (DOH) and the local government requirements for maternal and child health facilities.
Leading pharmaceutical and healthcare company Unilab, Inc., is the partner of the city government and the clinics to achieve the goal of 100 percent compliance so that the city will achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) particularly SDG 3.1 that by 2030, global maternal mortality ratio will be less than 70 per 100,000 live births.
“We have a good synergy and long-standing partnership with Quezon City in terms of ensuring high quality of healthcare provided to the residents, particularly the mothers and their children,” said Claire Papa, Unilab’s head for external affairs and social partnerships.
The Seal of Excellence award “promotes healthy competition, encourages innovation, fosters a culture of excellence, and nurtures collaboration that leads to a win-win situation, QC Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
The award, she said, has inspired many to level up their services. From only 23 percent compliance when it was launched in 2016, compliance among the city’s clinics has now reached 63 percent, she said. She challenged them to be 100 percent by next year. Once the goal is met, she said, the Seal of Excellence will be Quezon City’s entry for the Galing Pook Award which recognizes the best practices of LGUs all over the country.
Mayor Belmonte commended the awardees as well as the government agencies and partners from the private sector for their commitment in working together so that the city will achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) particularly SDG 3.1 that by 2030, global maternal mortality ratio will be less than 70 per 100,000 live births.
Dr. Esperanza Anita Escano Arias, OIC at the Quezon City Health Department, said 100-percent compliance is do-able, The private lying-in clinics embrace, and implement the standards, she said. “We are just here to support them,” she added. She said Quezon City’s ratio is now at 50, among the lowest among the nation’s LGUs.