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Luangwa records four maternal deaths in one year
Luangwa, July 17, ZANIS —–Luangwa district recorded four maternal deaths in the period January 2012 to 8th January, 2013.
This was disclosed by the Luangwa District Health Office during a Maternal Death Review Committee meeting held at Feira Lodge over the weekend that from January last year to January 2013, four maternal deaths were recorded at Katondwe Mission hospital.
Presenting the report on behalf the Luangwa District Health Office, Mother and Child Health Coordinator, Victoria Nkhomeshya Njovu said the four deaths were as a result of negligence from the relatives and late going to a health facility.
Mrs Njovu said out of the four maternal deaths, one was of a girl below the age of eighteen of Senior Chief Mburuma’s area who was taken late to the hospital and died before she could be attended to.
She said from the findings, it was discovered that the girl was been kept at home given traditional medicine despite been given a referral letter at the local clinic to go to the hospital.
And Chief Mphuka of the Chikunda people of Luangwa district who is also a Member of the Maternal Death Review Committee expressed sadness that lives were lost when government has put in place health facilities to serve lives.
Chief Mphuka called on the men folk and family members of pregnant women to support them during their pregnancy period by encouraging them to go for antenatal clinic so that life is saved.
The Chief also urged all stakeholders to partner with the Ministry of Health in sensitizing people especially couples on the need for women to go for early antenatal clinics in an effort to save the child and mother.
He commended government for its efforts in putting in deliberate policies of attaining the millennium development goals on maternal death and urged the people to work with government to ensure that this is achieved.
Chief Mphuka also expressed concern at the lack of an ambulance in the district saying this might contribute to loose of lives especially for pregnant women who are forced to walk long distances to health facilities and when referred to the hospital.
He said it was sad that the District Health Office has been operating without an ambulance for quite some years and some lives have been lost due to lack of transport to ferry patients to the hospital.
The traditional leader said an ambulance was a matter of urgency in the district and appealed to government to consider giving the district at least one ambulance though there was need for two looking at the vastness of the area.
