ILOCOS HOSPITAL GETS AWARD FOR NEWBORN HEARING PROGRAM

By: Leilaine Andriano – June 26, 2019, 7:24PM

BATAC CITY – besting other health institution across Asia, the state-run Mariano
Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC) here received the “health
promotion Initiative of the year” award from the Healthcare Asia Magazine based in
Singapore for its successful implementation of the Newborn Hearing Screening
Promotion Program (NHSPP).

Dr. Jose B. Orosa III, chief of the hospital’s medical professionals and program
coordinator of NHSPP, said Wednesday that MMMH&MC is the “only retained hospital
by the Department of Health to win this globally recognized award alongside top private
healthcare institutions in the country, such as the Medical City, St. Luke’s Medical
Center, and University of Santo Tomas Hospital.

“This recognition proves that our institution is capable of rising above the
challenges that plague government hospitals in the country and affirms our hospital’s
commitment to provide quality and universal healthcare services, not only among
Ilocanos but also to all Filipinos,” Orosa said.

The NHSPP, which started in 2016, aims to provide an accessible, effective, and
efficient system of hearing services among newborns, upholding the mandate of
Republic Act 9709, known as Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention
Act of 2009. According to the Philippine National Ear Institute, eight newborns are
estimated to acquire profound deafness in the country daily, affecting the overall
development and growth of an individual.

“Hearing is still one of the most prevalent disabilities among newborns and we
tend to forget how hearing is highly necessary to the speech development and mental
growth of an individual,” Orosa said. He said their program emphasizes how the support
and participation of various stakeholders are harness to effective mitigations and
intervention in the health concern that could lead to building of a more productive and
healthier future of young Filipinos.

Orosa said the management of MMMH&MC hopes that through the international
recognition, more support will pour in, especially in line with research pursuits focusing
on newborn hearing as well as the institutionalization of ear care programs among
daycare center and elementary schools across the religion.