Protect, care for pregnant women – Ndeitunga

Ongwediva Medipark aims to 'leave no mother behind'
Kenya Kambowe
Ohangwena governor Sebastian Ndeitunga has strongly discouraged men from abusing or abandoning pregnant women, describing these actions as "cruel".

Ndeitunga made these remarks in a speech read on his behalf on Saturday during Ongwediva Medipark’s ‘Safe Motherhood’ campaign at Engela District Hospital.

“I condemn unsupportive and sometimes violent fathers. We cannot talk about safe motherhood while we have men and fathers who abandon women after getting them pregnant – it is cruel,” Ndeitunga said.

Ndeitunga also spoke out against the practice of home births.

“We also see some mothers who still give birth at home, which can put both their own lives and those of the babies at risk," he warned.

He added: "Nowadays, home birth makes it unnecessarily difficult for the child to obtain a birth certificate, whereas if the mother gives birth in the hospital, the child may receive a birth certificate before the mother is discharged from the hospital."

Life-saving initiative

More than 200 pregnant mothers received free screenings on Saturday as part of the Medipark campaign.

Started in 2016, the initiative focuses on the health of expectant mothers and their unborn babies, aiming to improve pregnancy outcomes as Namibia continues to see many newborns with low birth weight, contributing to high infant mortality rates.

This year’s campaign was held under the theme ‘Equity in Maternal Healthcare: Leaving No Mother Behind’.

Speaking at the event, Medipark’s obstetrics and gynaecology specialist, Dr Francois Siemefo Kamgang, said antenatal care is crucial as it saves the lives of pregnant mothers and their unborn babies.

“The Safe Motherhood campaign is an event that Ongwediva Medipark Hospital organises every year with the purpose of teaching our mothers safe habits in order to go through pregnancy safely,” Kamgang explained.

“During this event, we, as the hospital, screen pregnant women, and we usually pick up conditions that we address in order to minimise the risk during pregnancy," he explained.

“For instance, I think three years ago in Eenhana, we picked up a patient with breast cancer who was operated on free of charge in Medipark, and today I think the mom is doing well. So this is the kind of thing the hospital organises to give back to the community.”

Equal attention

Ndeitunga also emphasised that safe motherhood initiatives must address systemic and socioeconomic issues that affect expecting mothers.

“The result of this should be improved maternal health for our women,” Ndeitunga said.

“In addition to issues of access to specialised and high-quality services such as those provided by Ongwediva Medipark Hospital, which many mothers cannot afford due to their economic situation, many social problems impede safe motherhood, including the level of education and cultural beliefs and practices," the governor said.

Since the inception of the initiative in 2016, thousands of pregnant mothers have benefitted from the campaign.

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-23

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