Nakaseke gets special baby care unit

Babies who develop complications in Nakaseke and neighbouring districts now stand a better chance of receiving good care thanks to the establishment of a special baby care unit (SCBU) at Nakaseke Hospital.

The facility deals with complications that range from restoring normal breathing, resuscitation, and management of premature births among other baby related complications.

Ms Rose Natukunda, a mother of three, is among the many mothers we found at the waiting room next to the facility. She said she was happy to see her two-year-old baby smile again after suffering from a series of interrupted breathing episodes that nearly cost her life.

Ms Florence Nabatta, 24, another mother, says her two-day-old baby was exposed to the cold air after birth on her way to hospital.
“My baby developed a breathing complication just a few hours after I gave birth on the roadside in Kigege village (Nakaseke Sub-county). We were quickly referred to the baby unit for management of the complication,” Ms Nabata explains.

In a period of one year, the SBCU, established with support from the Ministry of Health and donors, has saved lives of 371 babies through resuscitation and premature management.
“For the month of May, for instance, 38 babies were successfully attended to at the facility,” Dr Bernard Okong, the medical superintendent at Nakaseke Hospital, said.

The government, through the Uganda Health Systems Strengthening Project (UHSSP), in 2014 undertook major renovation and expansion works at Nakaseke Hospital at a cost of Shs13b. But even then, critical services, including the Special Baby Care Unit, remained a challenge due to lack of specialised medical equipment.

“Management of pre-term babies is an essential element for a health facility at the level of a hospital. It is interesting to note that numbers at the facility are not limited to Nakaseke District but stretch to more than seven districts including Nakasongola, Luweero, Wakiso, Mityana, Masindi and Kiboga districts,” Ms Mariam Kaberuka, the chairperson of the hospital management committee, says.

The authorities at the hospital say they received less patients during the lockdown due to Covid-19.
Statistics from the maternity wing at Nakaseke Hospital indicate that for the months of April, May and June, 238 mothers went through normal delivery while 309 mothers delivered through the cesarean section.

“At the time when transport costs were high including the possibility of failing to get transport means, it seems it is only mothers with a history of complications that sought services at Nakaseke Hospital. It is also true that the mothers who could deliver normally could not risk going through the hardship of raising money for transport and getting permission for travel. They possibly delivered at the lower health units,” Dr Moses Kawesa, a gynaecologist at the hospital said.

ISSUE
Child deaths
A 2011 State of the World’s Children report showed that the number of children who die before their fifth birthday remains high in Uganda. The report revealed that infant mortality rate is at 128 per 1,000 live births-ranking Uganda at 19th out of 190 countries studied in the report.

Although under-five mortality figures remain high in many developing countries, the report shows a 33 per cent reduction over the past decade, due to the investment in children’s health.

Apart from Burundi which is at 9th position, the other East African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda have lower mortality rates than Uganda.
Uganda is now off target in meeting the millennium development goals (MDGs). Based on MDGs, Uganda should reduce child and infant deaths to 58 and 31 per 1,000 births respectively.

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