First Lady Christine Kaseba has said the use of Non-pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment (NASG) in health institutions will greatly assist in reducing obstetric haemorrhage(loss of blood) among women after giving birth.
The non-pneumatic anti-shock garment (NASG) is a low-technology first-aid device used to treat hypovolemic shock (shock due to excess loss of blood). Its efficacy for reducing maternal deaths due to obstetrical hemorrhage is currently being researched. Many women in resource-poor settings deliver far from health-care facilities. Once hemorrhage has been identified, many women die before reaching or receiving adequate treatment. The NASG can be used to keep women alive until they can get the treatment they need.
Dr Kaseba said the use of NASG should therefore be rolled out to all rural areas in order to save women from dying after giving birth.She bemoaned the high rate of women who die when giving birth adding that more interventions should be put in place to salvage the high maternal deaths in the country.
Dr. Kaseba said this during the official opening of the dissemination meeting of the NASG held at Mulungishi International Conference yesterday.She congratulated the researchers comprising of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and other district clinics for collaborating with international hospitals in conducting a research on the usage of the NASG in preventing death caused by hemorrhage during child birth.
She said efforts aimed at serving women at birth should be supported be everyone because they will help save the lives of mothers thereby enhancing chances of Zambia attaining Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on women health.
She has since appealed to government to solicit for funds to pump in research and come up with other technologies aimed at serving women after delivery.
Dr. Kaseba also called for more health personal to be trained in the handling of the NASG if it is to achieve its intended purpose of saving life.
And University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Principal Investigator Gricelia Mkumba said research has shown that the NASG can save the life of the mother.
Dr. Mkumba explained that from the cluster randomized trial carried in Zambia and Zimbabwe, results showed that NASG is effective when rightly used.
Meanwhile, Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Development Joseph Katema emphasised that no mother should die during and after delivering.
Dr. Katema said the ministry was happy to associate itself with technologies that are aimed at saving the lives of women.
He however called for rolling out the technology to rural areas in an effort to save more lives of women at community level.
Dr kaseba.. one of the few.. i wonder is she bemba????
Dr kaseba anytime mama.. you look sweet!!!!!
Nice to see Dr Chomba and Dr Lambert.Dr chomba always posed tough questions during ward rounds in the pediatric ward UTH..Not much interaction with Dr.Lambert except a few boring neurology lectures,but he is a good guy.
iwe chi color ikala fye zee ngautekwete ifyakulanda.
Dr Kaseba appears to be more active and interested in health issues than the minister of health, whoever it is.
She should have Professor Chirwa’s salary.