MPs ask midwives to be kind

Jun 16, 2008

WOMEN MPs have asked midwives to be friendly to pregnant mothers, saying this would attract women who had resorted to traditional birth attendants to deliver from hospitals.

By Charles Jjuuko

WOMEN MPs have asked midwives to be friendly to pregnant mothers, saying this would attract women who had resorted to traditional birth attendants to deliver from hospitals.

The MPs noted that the majority of women shunned delivering from hospitals because they feared to be harassed by midwives.

“Maternal and mortality death rates have gone up because pregnant women have resorted to traditional birth attendants, who are not well trained,” said Mariam Nalubega, the Female Youth MP.

Nalubega, Sarah Nansubuga Nyombi (Ntenjeru North) and Ruth Kavuma (Kalangala) were on Friday campaigning for improved reproductive health services in Kayunga district.

Nalubega said they would tour several districts and compile a report on reproductive health, which will be passed to the relevant stakeholders to address problems in the sector.

The legislators noted that change in attitude and behaviour of midwives would save the lives of pregnant women who die while giving birth under the care of untrained attendants.

A recent national survey indicated that many women prefer to deliver from home to avoid harassment by nurses.

Disabled pregnant women have also compalined that midwives treat them harshly.

The MPs were also concerned by reports from Kayunga Hospital that most women giving birth there were underage.

“We want to discover why the would-be school-going girls are getting pregnant,” Nansubuga said.

The district director of health services, Dr. Diriisa Musisi, said only 26% of pregnant women deliver in health units.

Musisi said the district was facing a problem of few midwives.

The deputy resident district commissioner, Deborah Mbabazi, asked the Government to provide free delivery kits to pregnant mothers.

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