Phl's first family planning mobile clinic unveiled

BINANGONAN, RIZAL -- The country's first family planning mobile clinic was unveiled Wednesday in Binangonan, Rizal.

DKT Philippines Foundation, a charitable non-profit organization promoting family planning and HIV prevention, launched the Service Outreach and Distribution Extension Program (SODEX) Mobile Clinic.

The effort aims to provide safe and accessible modern family planning methods for Filipinos in far-flung areas to bridge the gap between Filipinos wanting to space and limit pregnancy and the disparities in family planning services.

Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Glenn Baggao said he believes the SODEX Mobile Clinic will help a lot of people.

He also assured that the Health department will be assisting the clinic technically and will be supporting the implementation of the family planning program.

"Since family planning is one of the programs of our department, the provision of this kind of facility will help our department in the implementation of the family planning program," Baggao told reporters.

"This will give access to people who cannot go to facilities," he added.

Baggao said the clinic, which he mentioned "very equipped," is seen to help people who desire to undergo family planning.

"Malaking tulong po ito sa kanila (This will be a very big help to them)," he added.

The Health official also underscored the importance of family planning against sexually transmitted infections and diseases, as well as helping individuals plan the desired number of their family members.

"Iniiwasan [din] natin ang pagtaas ng maternal mortality, infant mortality. We are doing this for the safety of our mothers, mga anak natin) (We are also avoiding an increase in maternal mortality, and infant mortality. We are doing this for the safety of our mothers, our children)," he added.

The mobile clinic will provide free family planning commodities such as pills, condoms, injectables, and intrauterine devices (IUD).

It will also offer free bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) using local anesthesia and non-scalpel vasectomy (NSV).

Onboarding the clinic are physicians/surgeons trained in the provision of BTL, NSV, IUD, and subdermal implant services; a family planning-trained nurse, a midwife, a circulating staff, and a driver.

Meanwhile, to ensure that all clients are well-informed and fit to take the services, they will undergo counseling and final screening prior to getting the method.

The mobile clinic will travel for 119 days to offer free services in the provinces of Central Luzon, North Luzon, Cordillera, MIMAROPA, and CALABARZON.

By next year, the mobile clinic will also cover communities in the Visayas and Mindanao areas.