The event started with a solidarity parade from Chigumula trading centre into Chief Sumbuleta’s area
* Celebrated under the theme; ‘Midwives at the Heart of Respectful and Family-Centred Maternity Care’
* Limbe Health Centre described as a ‘centre of excellence’ in as far as robust provision for reproductive health service is concerned
By Duncan Mlanjira
Communities of Blantyre District are being sensitised of the importance of expectant mothers to patronise health centres for their child delivery as a means to promote and enhance safe motherhood.
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The campaign is part of a health outreach programme by Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) being done in partnership with Blantyre District Hospital (DHO) and Seed Global Health, which amplifies the important role played by hospital midwives in safe motherhood.
Under the theme; ‘Midwives at the Heart of Respectful and Family-Centred Maternity Care’, the three institutions carried out their outreach programme on Thursday in Traditional Chief Sumbuleta’s are in Chigumula — a catchment area for Limbe Health Centre, described as a ‘centre of excellence’ in as far as robust provision for reproductive health service is concerned.
The event, that started with a solidarity parade from Chigumula trading centre into Chief Sumbuleta’s area, was for the community members to have knowledge of appreciate the high-tech antenatal and safe delivery services, which Limbe Health Centre and Blantyre DHO brought along and mounted at the venue.
The services were displayed in tents around the venue, included high tech scanning machines, blood pressure (BP) testing, family planning methods and vaccinations for under-5 children.
They also brought along a mobile van clinic by Malawi AIDS Counselling & Resource Organisation (MACRO) at which the community measures were encouraged to patronise to be tested for HIV and/or for HIV/Aids counselling.
One tent was reserved for the day at which the community members were invited to patronise for testing and treatment for any other ailments they were having, of which if not treated on spot, they were to be referred to Limbe Health Health or to Queen Elizabeth Centre Hospital.
But at the heart of the event was the importance of expectant mothers to visit Limbe Health Centre where there are well-trained midwives, who are all set to provide antenatal services, high tech scans to check if the unborn is in excellent health, constant checks of their BPs — and all other services that are designed for safe child delivery and safe motherhood.
Elizabeth Chodzaza, executive dean of School of Maternal-Neonatal & Reproductive Health at KUHeS, said the event falls under the Maternity Open Day outreach programme, which is to enhance patronage of antenatal services, which in turn gives the expectant mothers the confidence for safe delivery at the health centres.
She emphasised that respect to expectant mothers is paramount in the services rendered by the midwives, thus the theme of the campaign; ‘Midwives at the Heart of Respectful and Family-Centred Maternity Care’ — taking cognizance that some shun antenatal clinic services due to some unfounded beliefs and myths.
She highlighted that the campaign is very important as there are concerns of high mortality rate in the country, which is at 380 deaths against 100,000 deliveries.
On her part, Blantyre DHO’s Safe Motherhood Coordinator, Elida Vutula attested to that most expectant mothers shun antenatal and hospital delivery because they are sometimes not accorded the privacy and respect.
Vutula addressing the gathering
Vutula (left) and members of her team
She was quick to say that at Limbe Health Centre, the receptive is now high because of the professional manner of their midwives, coupled with high tech scanning equipment which determine the health condition of the unborn babies.
“We are proud to say Limbe Health Centre is a centre of excellence in the professional delivery of maternity health services, which expectant mothers are positively patronising from antenatal clinics up to child delivery,” said the Safe Motherhood Coordinator.
The event in Chief Sumbuleta’s area was graced by several traditional leaders led by Group Village Nyaka, representing Senior Chief Machinjiri, who expressed profound appreciation for the services that the health authorities brought to the community.
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“It is now up to us to encourage our subjects, the expectant mothers and their spouses, that it is important to visit Limbe Health Centre for their antenatal needs and safe delivery.
“This event has been an eye opener as you can see there are lines of expectant mothers receiving medical check ups at the tents even some mothers have brought along their children [for their under-5 check ups],” he said.
Indeed, as soon as Vutula announced that it was a day-long event as a self-contained mobile medical services, some dashed back to nearby homes and brought with them their health passports for medical checkups.
The event was spiced by entertainment activities of drama, dance, poetry, music — all aligning to the theme of safe safe child delivery, safe motherhood of child spacing, prudent use of contraceptives, among other social and economic topics.
Seed Global Health, KUHeS’ and Blantyre DHO partner, began operations in Malawi in 2013 “to support the development of a strong and skilled health workforce,” as said by Richard Malirakwenda, Seed Global Health’s midwifery advisor.
Richard Malirakwenda
“We work in close partnership with the Ministry of Health, health training institutions, regulatory bodies, and health facilities to train health workers, strengthen the quality of care, and advance policies that enable high-quality service delivery.”
Malirakwenda explained that since 2019, KUHeS’ School of Maternal-Neonatal & Reproductive Health partnered with Seed Global Health to implement the first-ever Midwifery-Led Ward at Limbe Health Centre.
“The goal of the partnership is to improve the quality of clinical education and women-centered practice to reduce the maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality at Limbe Health Centre,” he said.
Thanks so much ,well articulated