Punish health workers over mama kit, says NMS
Former Ntungamo District Woman MP Beatrice Rwakimari (in green dress) hands over delivery kit to Bamunoba Mothers Union health centre leaders in Ntungamo District on Thursday. PHOTO BY PEREZ RUMANZI
Ntungamo- A former Ntungamo District Woman MP, Ms Beatrice Rwakimari, has called for punitive action against health workers who fail to order for items, especially mama kit meant for maternal healthcare.
She said government has provided mama kit (maternity kit) for all pregnant women during child delivery in government health centres, but the health workers have not been ordering for the items from the National Medical Stores (NMS).
Ms Rwakimari added that even those who requisition the items from the NMS sell them off to private clinics and hospitals.
“We have mama kit at the National Medical Stores and one of the reasons they are not in health centres is because those who are supposed to order for them and give them to women haven’t been doing so. If they continue not ordering for the mama kit, punitive action will be taken,” Ms Rwakimari, a board member of NMS, warned.
She made the remarks while handing over delivery kit to Bamunoba Mothers Union health centre, a Church of Uganda founded health facility, in Kitunga, on Thursday.
“We now have 20 full containers of 20 feet at National Medical Stores untouched. We want government to come in and do something about it. These health workers must answer,” she added.
Her comments followed complaints by leaders of the Mothers Union that expired mama kit were being destroyed at NMS yet pregnant mothers lacked the kits during delivery in rural health centres.
“We have realised that these public health facilities are not ordering for mama kit, we don’t know why. We are now aware they have not been ordering for mama kit and we are intervening to make sure these public facilities order for them.
We have also learnt that those that order for them end up selling them,” Ms Rwakimari said.
The head of NMS last week told a parliamentary committee on health that there were many unused mama kits awaiting disposal.
The items Ms Rwakimari handed over to the health centre included a delivery bed, pressure machine, gloves and scissors, among others, to help mothers have safe deliveries.
