Social Services

The delivery of public health services in the province is made through the operation of various public health facilities like government hospitals, municipal health centers and rural health units. There are about 16 government hospitals with Quezon Memorial Hospital in Lucena City, as the biggest hospital with 220-bed capacity. Other district hospitals are located in Alabat, Atimonan, Lopez, Gumaca, Mauban, Infanta, Catanauan, Tagkawayan, Sampaloc, Polillo, Unisan, Candelaria, Guinayangan, San Francisco and San Narciso. All of these hospitals are being operated under the supervision of their respective Chiefs of Hospitals. Barangay Health Stations (BHS) around the province totaled to 352.

Aside from public hospitals, private hospitals can be found in Lucena City and other big municipalities. There are 23 private hospitals all over Quezon. Medical and dental clinics are also regular structures in urban centers of the municipalities.

There are forty (40) Rural Health Units distributed province wide and manned by a registered and licensed doctor/dentist or public health nurse.

All of the public health services still lack manpower resources due to the disinterest of some medical practitioners to work with government. Surprisingly, medical attention given to the constituents can still be rated as satisfactory.

The province through the Office of the Governor, the Provincial Health Office and other volunteer medical practitioners here and abroad conducts regular medical and dental missions throughout the province.

The crude death rate decreased from 19.89% in 2000 to 18.32% in 2001 or a 7.89% reduction. Crude birth rate decreased from 4.22% in 2000 to 4.11% in 2001 or 2.61% reduction. Infant mortality rate decreased from 15.85% in 2000 to 11.52% in 2001 or 27.32% reduction. Maternal mortality rate decreased from 0.70% in 2000 to 0.57% in 2001 or 18.57% reduction. Underweight children 2nd and 3rd degree malnourished decreased from 6.28% in 2000 to only 6% in 2001 or 0.28% reduction. This shows the effectivity of public health services being provided by the provincial health providers.

The ten leading causes of infant mortality are: pneumonia, congenital anomaly, prematurity, birth injury, septicemia, respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis neonatorum, asphyxia neonatorum, diarrheal disease, meningitis and nutritional deficiency. While the leading causes of maternal mortality are post partum hemorrhage, eclampsia, placenta retention, uterine atony, hypovolemic shock and prolonged labor.

The ten leading causes of morbidity ranges from pneumonia, diarrhea, influenza, parasitism, disease of the heart, skin problem, bronchitis, nutritional deficiency, wounds and hypertension. The leading causes of mortality on the other hand are cardio vascular diseases, pneumonia, hypertension, PTB, accident, cancer, malignant neoplasm, COPD, congenital anomaly and wounds.
Inventory of public health personnel includes 40 doctors, 64 nurses, 3 nutritionist, 37 dentists, 15 dental aides, 15 medical technologies, 87 sanitary inspectors/engineers, 391 midwives, 6051 BHWs and 1180 trained birth attendants.

The various programs being undertaken by the province includes prenatal and postpartum care, Expanded Program on Immunization and orientation on breastfeeding, CDD and AM, iron and iodine supplementation, vitamin A supplementation, CVD program, leprosy prevention, STDs and TB Program.

All private and public hospitals accept medicare patients under Phil Health.

Table 4: Public and Private Hospitals and
Number of Bed Capacity, Quezon 2000

PUBLIC HOSPITALS

TOTAL 585
SOURCE: Provincial Health Office- Quezon

PRIVATE HOSPITALS

TOTAL 1,137
SOURCE: Provincial Health Office- Quezon