Midwives urged to observe good hygiene

PIC: The state minister of health Sarah Opendi, midwives and other officials cutting cake during the celebrations. (Credit: Agnes Kyotalengerire)

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE MIDWIFE

JINJA- The state minister of health, Sarah Opendi, has ordered health workers; particularly midwives, to observed high standards of hygiene and quality care.

"We want to see that every mother and child who goes to the heath facility is attended to with care and a smile. We do not want to see mothers who have come to health facilities to deliver, but end up with a different disease because of poor hygiene and sanitation," Opendi said. 

Opendi was speaking during the celebration to mark the International Day of the midwife on Saturday at Jinja secondary school under the theme: "Midwives leading the way with quality care,"

She lamented that a lot of focus has been put on training and recruitment, but not much focus has been talked about on practice when it comes to quality of care.

Additionally, the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, decried the issues of lack of accommodation, inadequate pay and work overload where some midwives work for over 24 hours.

"How can a midwife work for 24 hours while standing?  Honorable members, let us ensure that there must be sufficient personnel in our health facilities," Kadaga said.

The celebrations started with a crowd of midwives matching from Stanbic Bank at in the morning through the streets to Jinja Secondary School play grounds.

To crown off the celebration, Opendi cut a cake together with World Health Organisation, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA ) and Swedish Embassy officials.

Statistics

Currently, there are 17,583 midwives registered in Uganda with the Nurses and Midwives Council. Of these, 12,621 are already deployed in both public and private sector.

However, Opendi lamented that these numbers are low and is actually the cause for the work over load. 

 Midwives matching through the streets of Jinja  town to mark their day. 

(Credit: Agnes Kyotalengerire)

Andrew Wabwire (second-right), the programme manager E-learning at AMREF Health Africa explaining to Kadaga how the E-leraning programme has helped midwives to upgrade. Second-left is the Jinja LC5 chairperson Titus Kisambira. (Credit: Agnes Kyotalengerire)

Kadaga, Kisambira (third-left) and other officials watching midwives demonstrate how to rescustate a baby.  (Credit: Agnes Kyotalengerire)

Opendi hands over a dummy baby to Alain Sibenaler, the UNFPA country representative during the skit highlighting the four delays that affect safe delivery. 

 (Credit: Agnes Kyotalengerire)