200 babies born as six die on Xmas

At least six babies died during labour while more than 200 were born on Christmas Day at various health facilities countrywide.
Five deaths were registered at Mulago National Referral Hospital and one in Oli Health Centre in Arua District.

Ms Josephine Apinyo, the area manager new Mulago hospital wing, attributed some of the deaths to mothers being anemic and babies lacking oxygen.
She said the mothers of some of the babies who died might not have received antenatal care while others were reportedly dumped at the facility after failing at private clinics.
“We did our best to save their lives but God decided otherwise. But, other mothers who delivered normally are in a stable condition and we have managed to discharge some,” Ms Apinyo said yesterday.
Some mothers were also reported to have died during labour but the Daily Monitor could not verify this information by press time.

Hospitals around Kampala registered the largest number of babies born on Christmas Day, according to a snap survey by this newspaper.
Out of 276 babies born countrywide, Kampala hospitals recorded 176 babies.
Like it has been the case over the years, Mulago recorded the highest number of babies with 37 girls and 30 boys, followed by Kasese District (39), Rubaga Hospital (30), Mbarara ( 24) and Naguru Hospital (20).

At Nsambya Hospital, seven babies were born while Kampala International Hospital registered one birth.
Mengo Hospital in Kampala registered the birth of only four girls.
Kibuli Muslim Hospital registered 14 normal deliveries, while Case Clinic recorded five deliveries.
There were 13 babies born at Masaka Referral Hospital, eight of whom are girls.
In Mbarara and Nakaseke, 32 babies were born with the former registering 24.
Ten and five babies were recorded at Gulu and Kitgum hospitals respectively while in Kamuli District, 20 babies were born; seven from Kamuli hospital and Kamuli Mission hospital each and six from health centres.

West Nile births
Twenty four babies were born in Arua, Moyo and Nebbi hospitals.
The midwife on duty at Oli Health Centre, Ms Grace Ndaezo, said: “In all the deliveries, there were no complications except for one still birth.”
However, for Ms Sarah Owomugisha, 20, her joy of delivering a healthy baby was interrupted after another woman, who was passing as a volunteer, made off with it.
Fortunately, police were alerted and the suspect was later arrested at Lukaya in Kalungu District enroute to Kampala and the baby reunited with its mother.
Ms Vicky Acan, who gave birth to a baby boy at Kitgum Hospital, said she has named her son Emmanuel to glorify God’s name.

“This is a memorable day for me I am grateful to God for this gift,” she said.

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