THE municipality of Compostela submitted a proposed ordinance to the Provincial Board (PB) to ban traditional birth attendants, or hilot, from administering birth deliveries.

The high maternal mortality rate in the country due to complications during birth deliveries by hilot prompted town Councilor Wilfredo Calo to push for the ordinance.

Bleeding, hemorrhage, infection and hypertension are the possible complications arising from deliveries hnadled by untrained traditional birth attendants.

The ordinance is in support of the circulars issued by the Department of Health to discouraged home-based birth deliveriesby hilot. It encourages mothers to give birth only in hospitals, birthing centers and lying-in clinics handled by trained healthcare professionals.

Fines are set for violators of the ordinance, at P2,000 for the first offense, P3,000 for the second offense, and P5,000 for the third offense. CNU Intern Airland Sala