Teso Parliamentary Forum appeals for mama kits

Jun 27, 2017

Many of the women cannot buy the supplies which often leads to complications and even death for the mothers and babies

 

Teso Parliamentary Forum (TPF) secretary David Abala has appealed to the Ministry of Health to look into issues of providing mama kits at health facilities upcountry in order to save lives of expectant mothers. 

Abala who is a member of the Uganda Women's Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) while speaking to New Vision in an exclusive interview noted with concern that most mothers in rural communities are economically handicapped and therefore cannot afford the kits. 

Abala also the Ngora County MP revealed that many of the women cannot buy the supplies, so they do not seek medical care, which often leads to complications and even death for the mothers and babies. 

"Most expectant mothers are in a very sorry state, and yet cannot find these (mama kits) at the health facilities. Please help save our mothers", Abala said. 

Philomena Akurut, an expectant mother from Kapelebyong Sub County in Amuria district who is due to deliver in early August this year told New Vision that ever since she started going for antenatal care services at the health centre, she has never received her mama kit package. 

"I remember at the time when I requested for my delivery kit, I was told that I would receive my mama kit at my delivery bed, but most women have always been turned down on that day," said Irene Akareut another pregnant woman who receives antenatal services at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital in Soroti district. 

Earlier, Sister Alice Grace Epako, in charge of the maternity ward at Soroti Hospital confirmed that the facility has continued to suffer inconsistent supply of mama kits for quite a number of months now. 

"The mama kits have been out of stock for over a month now, and we find it quite challenging to help provide a clean and safe delivery especially to the disadvantaged mothers", she revealed. 

A mama kit package contains a one meter piece of cotton cloth (baby wrapper), laundry soap, a pair of gloves, cotton wool, small gauze, cord ligature, and a meter of polythene sheet which is used on the delivery table. 

It is one of the strategies that the Ministry of Health introduced with an aim of improving maternal health and encouraging expectant women to deliver at a health centre. 

According to research conducted by Mercy for Mama, the gift of a mama kit can greatly reduce the number of women dying during childbirth.

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