Women with disabilities neglected in hospitals

By Donald Kiirya

IGANGA - Women with Disabilities (WWDs) in Iganga have expressed concern over what they called neglect by midwives during times of labour at Iganga General hospital.

They said that midwives do not attend to them arguing that the delivery process needs the help of a specialist or will need a cesarean section even when it is not necessary.

This was during the launch of two projects aimed at strengthening retention of HIV positive mothers and HIV exposed infants and another on increasing advocacy for better access to health care for girls and women with disabilities by Integrated Disabled Women Activities (IDIWA) and Protecting Women and Children against Violence in Uganda (PROWOCAVU) respectively at Iganga district council hall on Saturday.

One of the women with disabilities that attended the meeting at Iganga district council hall after the meeting on Saturday.

In a statement read by Christine Kisubi, a teacher at Busesa mixed Primary School; she said that in many places Women with Disabilities are routinely turned away from such services when they seek help, often being told that they should not be pregnant, or scolded because they have decided to have a child.

Kisubi added that most health workers lack technical capacity to handle Women with Disabilities including sign communication with deaf mothers.

After reading the statement, Kisubi narrated her ordeal. In 2014 she wanted to deliver a child at Iganga general hospital but unfortunately midwives refused to attend to her.

IDIWA's Executive Director Elizabeth Kayanga (middle) chatting with Christine Kisubi (right) during the meeting at the Iganga district council hall on Saturday. PHOTO/Donald Kiirya

“Midwives tried to ask me what my problem was so whoever I explained to just walked away until my relatives took me to a private clinic but it was too late because I gave birth to a dead child,” Kisubi said adding that she did not have a chance to be a mother.

She added that it was her first child and called upon government to caution such midwives because it pays for their salaries and provides funds to run the hospital so they should change their attitudes towards Women with Disabilities too.        

The Iganga district LC 5 chairperson Shaban Nkuutu (Middle) launching IDIWA and PROWOCAVU projects at Iganga district council hall on Saturday. Left is IDIWA's Executive director Elizabeth Kayanga. PHOTO/Donald Kiirya

The Iganga district L.C 5, Shaban Nkuutu expressed dismay about Kisubi’s ordeal and promised to work tooth and nail to change the mind sets of midwives at Iganga hospital towards Women with Disabilities who visit hospitals for antenatal care or deliveries.

IDIWA’s Executive Director, Elizabeth Kayanga said IDIWA is seeking partnership and support to establish a unique model of including girls and women with disabilities in sexual reproductive health as a means for their socio-economic advancement.

She said their model seeks to increase advocacy for appropriate access to the full compliment of reproductive health services, appropriate individualized birth control methods, family planning and prevention and treatment of STIs.

Kayanga said the district needs to commit resources for implementation of the disability legislation and policy to ensure equitable access to reproductive health services by girls and women with disabilities in Iganga.