EXPECTANT mothers in Chief Nabwalya’s area are shunning Nabwalya Health Centre and delivering at home because there is only one qualified male midwife at the health facility.
This came to light when Deputy Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya handed over an ambulance, health kit and drugs to Nabwalya Health Centre yesterday.
Midwives are specialists in childbirth, post-partum, and health care. The term is used in reference to both women and men, although most midwives are female.
The women said they are uncomfortable giving birth in the presence of Anthony Mwandu, the only qualified midwife in the area.
“It is difficult to give birth in the presence of a male person, hence I prefer giving birth at home and just go to the clinic for post-natal care,” said Annie Mwamba, a resident of Nabwalya. Mr Mwandu is the only qualified midwife at Nabwalya Health Centre, which caters for over 13,000 people.
He said most health workers deployed to the area fail to cope because it is remote and appealed to Government to consider training local people as traditional birth attendants.
“I have managed to stay here because I was born here and I am happy to have served my community for the past 12 years. Others who come fail to stay for long because of the bad road network and there is no mobile network service,” Mr Mwandu said.
He also called on Government to consider opening up more health facilities in the area to decongest Nabwalya Health Centre.
Mr Mwandu, however, said Government consistently supplies the centre with drugs.
And Dr Chilufya commended Mr Mwandu for diligently serving the people of Nabwalya and that Government recognises his efforts.
He appealed to health workers deployed to rural areas not to leave because people need their services.
Dr Chilufya said Nabwalya Health Centre was meant to cater for a small number of people but the population has been growing.
He said Government has released K500,000 to expand Nabwalya Health Centre to include a maternity wing and a theatre.
Dr Chilufya also said Government plans to deploy licentiate medical personnel to the area.
The minister said upgrading of Nabwalya Health Centre will help to decongest Mpika General Hospital, which is over 160 kilometres away.
He also said the availability of an ambulance at Nabwalya Health Centre will strengthen the referral system to confront the high maternal and infant mortality rate.
“Creating access to quality health care as close to the people as possible is Government’s priority.
“People in rural areas have the right to have access to quality health care,” Dr Chilufya said.
And Chief Nabwalya is happy that Government is fulfilling its promises.
He said his subjects used to die of minor illnesses because the health centre had no ambulance.
Chief Nabwalya appealed to Government to consider upgrading Nabwalya Health Centre to a hospital to cater for the growing population.
“The chiefdom has a fastgrowing population but resources take very long to reach us because of the distance and bad road,” he said.
imwe ba pompwe ta mwa unfwako ati “Winning Hearts & minds??” You should get him to head/supervise a group of birth attendants(TBA’s), he then only assissts if they get into problems, he can also wear a white coat, they might just think he is the “Docotala!!”, problem solved!!
can a female be trained from the village? It’s that simple.
“Nubian” aren’t you the same people that cry for EQUALITY of the SEXES??
Ifiko bakamushi hence the resistance
Kuti bwaima nga amona a beautiful lady in labour.
They are uncomfortable probably bcos he is their own, but great works Mr Mwandu.it’s gratifying that the centre even has a qualified midwife and with an ambulance maternity/referral service will improve.’mwapusukeni’ as bembas rightly say labor is very risky,need qualified staff.safe motherhood is attainable.
“I have managed to stay here because I was born here and I am happy to have served my community for the past 12 years.” In this statement is the problem and solution. The District management must find another person who is already serving in a similar rural setting and exchange the two vital health workers. In the African setup one cannot blame the community for shunning the services provided by the said health worker. Even within health ethics it is not advisable to serve one’s own family members unless it is an emergency. Govt must intervene as things stand in this area the services are inaccessible no matter what we say.
Inchito shimbi awe mkwai!!!!! I would rather work as a peasant farmer in the remote areas than attend to a woman giving birth. It’s morally unacceptable in the African context.
The job title is mid-wife. Just how a man will take up a professional which, even by name, requires that it should be for women, beats me. Guys, take up professions befitting your gender, not mid-wifery. I support the local women. It is unmanly to be involved in child delivery, unless there is a complication.
I totally agree with you. I also wonder how a man just find pleasure in pursuing female careers. This is what laziness does to people. How can a man be a wife?! It is a pity that his presence is forcing our pregnant women to shun the medical facility, thereby risking the lives of both the mother and child. Transfer him to another dept and take a female nurse there.
It is ridiculous to have a man call himself a midwife. Where are womenfolk?
In our culture it is taboo for men to be present during childbirth. I don’t understand what drives men to be midwives. Western culture is working hard to blur the boundaries of what you can and cannot do. Don’t adopt everything you see on TV. The devil is very busy!
All of u against the issue of men delivering women are naturally dull and fall short of reasoning! How many of u above where delivered by women! Support people that are busy serving the many lives of women in our societies! The fact that u are cowards and are immoral(promiscuous) is the reason why you look down on men who are helping the many women to deliver! You all need wisdom coz the opposite is true about all of you.
Rubbish. You peeping Tom
Ignorance, Ignorance a profession is a profession male or female. what about female nurses seeing the privates of a man and gynecologists who are treating members of the opposite sex. come on you cannot downgrade someone’s job that they are passionate about just because your dirty mind cannot understand the specifics of the job.