Mother stuck with triplets, seeks help
Bushenyi. A woman is stranded with a week old triplets at Kampala International University (KIU) Teaching Hospital in Ishaka-Bushenyi Municipality.
Ms Mary Madamu, 32, delivered the triplets prematurely on March 18, at Ishaka Adventist Mission Hospital and was later referred to KIU teaching hospital due to lack of facilities to keep them alive.
Dr Yusuf Abdinasir, who is attending to the mother, said they are facing pressure from her family to discharge her fearing they may not be able to pay high hospital bills.
This could, however, jeopardise survival of the kids since they will not be in a safe environment; because their mother and father are poor.
“Although the babies are in good condition, they still need a lot of care and good environment. The social-economic background of the mother is not good yet she has to ensure these kids survive,” Dr Abdinasir said.
Ms Madamu, who comes from Katerera in Rubirizi District, said she faces tough times ahead since she does not have a stable income.
She said her husband recently married another wife and doubts whether he will be there for her. “I need the grace of God and well-wishers to give a life to these children. We are not well-off and meeting the demands basing on what the doctors have told me will be very difficult,” Ms Madamu said on Tuesday.
Asked whether she had been going for antenatal visits, Ms Madamu said the time she visited a health centre, the medical worker told her she needed to go to a big health facility for further examination.
She, however, could not make it due to lack of money adding that she learnt of the triplets when she went to the hospital for delivery.
Ms Madamu who started giving birth at the age of 18, said this was her eighth pregnancy. She, however, said four of her children died at an early age. Dr Abdinasir said according to her history, the other four children died of malnutrition. He said they have put the tripplets on formula to supplement the mother’s breast milk.
“This woman needs some well wishers to come to her rescue. The tin of formula costs Shs30,000 and each baby takes a tin per week,” he said.
He said the hospital cannot discharge them until they are sure these babies will be provided for adequately. He added there is also need to assess the living conditions of the mother at home.
The father of the kids, Mr Peterson Mayumba confessed that it will be a challenge to take care of the kids. He told Daily Monitor he has no resources to look after them. “I know life will not be easy. I wish some good Samaritans out there, come to give a hand in this,” Mr Mayumba said.
The head of Paediatrics Department at KIU teaching hospital, Dr Barnabus Atwiine, said due to the fact that the babies were born premature, it puts them at a higher risk of death. He said their survival will only be guaranteed after the mother gets support.
“We are consulting to treat these children free of charge as one way of our social responsibility. But we call upon NGOs and other companies to come in and help this mother,” Dr Atwiine said.
This family can be reached on 0751735938
Similar case
Last month, a 31-year-old woman was seeking help after she failed to look after her triplets due to financial constraints. Ms Jane Kabugho, a resident of Kikonzo Cell Railway Ward in Central Division, Kasese Municipality, who gave birth to triplets said she had failed to feed the children to satisfaction because of low breast milk since she misses meals. She said she had no source of income and there was nobody to provide for her.