Health Comm to discuss proposed newborn screening ordinance

THE City Council Committee on Health, Nutrition, and Health Insurance, chaired by Councilor Maria Lourdes S. Gaane, is set to take up the proposed ordinance institutionalizing newborn screening in Cagayan de Oro City.

Introduced by Vice Mayor Bebot Rodriguez, the ordinance seeks to complement and reinforce the provisions of RA No. 9288 by institutionalizing newborn screening in the city.

It also aims to ensure the dissemination of accurate and comprehensive information regarding the nature and benefits of newborn screening, promote awareness among healthcare practitioners in the city and to delineate their responsibilities in facilitating and advocating for newborn screening services promoting a culture of early intervention for heritable conditions among the newborn population.

Republic Act No. 9288, also known as Newborn Screening Act No. 2004, underscores the importance of instituting a comprehensive national newborn screening system to safeguard infants from heritable conditions that can lead to severe health complications or even death if undetected and untreated.

Vice Mayor Rodriguez believes that by enacting this ordinance, the city reaffirms its commitment to upholding the right to health and well-being of its youngest residents, thereby contributing to the overall welfare and development of the community.