Seventy percent of babies that die in the UTH Women and Newborn Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit are born prematurely.
National Coordinator for Neonatal Services Kunda Kapembwa says this is because of limited facilities to take care of the premature babies.
Dr. Kapembwa who is a Neonatologist says the Unit only has four incubators, which can not cater for all premature babies.
She was speaking at commemorations to mark World Prematurity Day, which falls on 17th November.
Dr. Kapembwa has also asked the hospital management to expand the Ward for premature babies, which she said is overcrowded.
And Women and Newborn Hospital Senior Medical Superintendent Maureen Chisembele said government has already identified and earmarked Ward B 21 for premature babies.
Dr. Chisembele explained that government has already bought incubators and that the ward for premature babies will soon be operational.
Zambia targets to reduce neonatal deaths from 24 per one thousand live births to 12 per one thousand live births by 2021.
Long overdue!
Isn’t it sad that more than 50 years after independence we can not safely look after premature babies. My baby was born at 25 weeks. Had we been in Zambia she would not have survived. We are okey with flying old politicians to India or South Africa and spending millions of kwacha ,instead of revamping our hospitals more especially neonatal wards
Stop having them. Aren’t there enough abandoned children to go around?
Nubian, Having a premature baby is by choice. There are several medical conditions that can cause a woman to have a premature baby. Do you mean to say all newlyweds must not have babies but just go to the streets and pick up any child from there?
F.uck off Lungu and your supporters. Four incubators after 50 years of independence and also after buying over priced fire tenders? Nubian f.uck off you whore. How many bastards do you have?
No these incubators are not important. First we need to buy a military jet for the president.