Expectant mothers given Mama Kits

By Andrew Masinde

MARGRET Nankanja is expecting her first child. She had visited hospital for antenatal check-up. Though her delivery days are due, she was not sure if she was to get a free mama kit because one of her friends bought it.

This kept her worried of where she would get the money to buy the kit, "I kept on praying that God would give me money because my days are due, now he has answered my prayers, I have received a free mama kit and other things to use during my delivery. God is good, i have also received a new basin and a wrapper for my new born baby," excited Nankanja a resident of Kasoli said.

Nankanja was among the many expectant mothers who received free mama kits and other delivery kits to help them give birth safely. The kits were donated to mother by Airtel Uganda at Naguru Referral Hospital.

Each mother received a set of mama kit, a new basin and a wrapper, mothers who had delivered too received kits.

The senior hospital director Dr Edward Nadumba commended Airtel for their efforts in curbing maternal mortality.

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"Today you have given hope to 200 mothers and stopped them from becoming part of the sad statistics by providing the mama kits. Every day the hospital gets 20 to 30 new born babies. Five mothers go under caesarean, so these kits are urgently needed because with the high birth rates, the budgets are also constrained, which sometimes would lead to some mothers missing out" he explained.

He added "that the patient's rate at the hospital is too high compared to the human resource. The big numbers too constrains the hospital budget. It is quarter way but budget is almost done, getting well-wishers adds a lot to the budget," Dumba explained.

Sarah Kintu Kyakuwaire senior nursing officer said, daily the hospital receives 200 to 400 pregnant mothers seeking for antenatal check-up and 400 children for immunisation.

Tom Gutjahr the managing director Airtel said they were honoured to play part in the advocacy for safe motherhood and family health care.

"Uganda is still experiencing over 310 deaths per 100,000 live birth so Airtel is committed to stopping these deaths by ensuring that women and mothers get better antenatal care and prevent these deaths,"

According to world health organisation, in 2013, 289,000 women died from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. In addition, for every woman who dies in childbirth, around 20 more suffer injury, infection or disease – approximately 10 million women each year.

About mama kit

A Mama Kits is an all-in-one kits that contains everything needed to help provide a clean and safe delivery.

The Kit consists of 2 pairs of gloves to prevent bacterial infections and HIV, 2 new razor blades to cut the umbilical cord, 1 piece of soap, 2 gauze pads for cleaning the eyes of the new-born, 8 sanitary towels for the mother, 9 oz of cotton wool, 1 polyethylene sheet on which the mother gives birth and 1 Suction bulb to clean baby's airway.