MHMS receives support to address Labour ward issue

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

MINISTRY of Health and Medical Services have received financial support worth $100,000 to assist them address the Labour Ward issue currently faced by birthing mothers and new born babies at the National Referral Hospital.

The timely support was rendered by Pan Oceanic Bank (POB) after they heard about the Labour ward issues.

Minister for Health and Medical Services Dickson Mua confirmed to Island Sun that POB had heard about the Labour ward current condition and willingly offered their support to help assist birthing mothers and babies.

“POB heard about the Labour ward condition and offered 100k for some improvements,” said Mua.

He said yesterday POB’s Operations Manager and Director also visited the Labour ward to see if the fund donated is enough or if there needs to be any additional.

Mua said during the visit POB officers explained that these funds are POB’s community obligation as they want to give back to the community through such assistance.

“I’m glad that POB had assisted us this way especially at this crucial time of the Labour ward condition. The Labour ward plays an important role,” he said.

The condition facing mothers and babies at the Labour ward where  one bed is shared amongst two to three mothers with their newborn babies was brought to light after Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare made his visit to Coronavirus facility sites at the National Referral Hospital.

In the course of the visit Dr Jack Siwainao Specialist Consultant of Obstetrician Gynecologists, in charge of Labour ward, NRH, begged PM Sogavare if they can get a bigger Labour ward soon.

“Prime Minster if we can get a bigger Labour ward as soon as possible because in terms of health standard one patient should have its own bed rather than having three women sharing one bed

“There should be distance of one meter between the beds but currently the beds are cramped up and squashed up to together and has against the standards of infection control,” said Siwainao.

He said for one day they have 15 deliveries per day meaning they are producing two classrooms in two days.

“But on our heavy days we have 30 deliveries in a day and the population has grown very much but in terms of facility it remains the same,” he said.

Siwainao stressed for delivery beds they have four with 10 recovery beds which resulted with no enough space for women to have their nap during the process of recovery.

“After having their babies, they should have move to postnatal ward but because we don’t have many bed spaces, we are forced to send them home, Ideally, we should keep these women in a hospital for the first 24 hours after delivery.

This is because all the complications that happens after delivery will take place within the first 24 hours. The complications include, mothers who bleed they will bleed at that time, developing infection should happen in a first 24 hours, babies who get sick should happen in first 24 hours.

Sadly, we are forced to send them home at most 8 hours but now we are being forced to discharge mothers as early as four hours.

So, this is very risky,” he said.

Further to this , Siwainoa highlights that the ward also has the condition of poor ventilation , the fan or air condition not working, limited space in the between the four delivery suites, no power points in the first and last delivery suits, poor lighting in the main area, need free swinging doors to the delivery and main entrance, needs repainting inside and preparation room, kitchen and outside for general upgrade

On this note Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare replied “we really need to talk about solutions on these matters so, now you start to think about it now and present a recommendation.

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