Arua expectant mothers still shun health units

At Arua Regional Referral Hospital, midwives and health officials are at pains to explain why expectant mothers shun delivering in health units. The in-charge of the maternity ward, Sr. Beatrice Ndezo, recently said that over 80 per cent of pregnant women attend antenatal care at government health centres but the number drops at the time of delivery.

“We have had problems with Traditional Birth Attendants because they also compete with us to have mothers deliver at home,” she said. Sr. Ndezo said wooing women to deliver at home is risky as it results into increased maternal mortality rates.

She said lack of essential supplies and equipments at lower health centres and understaffing exacerbates the problem. A quarterly report for 2009/10 indicates that 25 maternal deaths were recorded districtwide, while the referral hospital had one death.

According to the Acting District Health Officer, Sr. Joyce Aciro, the maternal mortality rates would have reduced if cultural beliefs were removed.
“The culture that our grandmothers delivered safely at homes is still high. They argue that there is too much harassment by nurses and lack of gloves and syringes bars them from delivering in health units,” she said.

At Arua Referral Hospital, about 400 women deliver in the unit monthly yet the hospital officials expect a much higher figure. This, Aciro said had improved delivery in health units because those who would pay it do not want to incur extra costs. But poor referral systems, understaffing and inadequate equipments at health centres frustrate efforts of improving health service delivery in the district.