Expecting mothers in Bubi District are reportedly avoiding maternity waiting homes in rural clinics due to a shortage of food.
This was revealed during a stakeholder meeting held by the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) on revitalising primary health care in Zimbabwe towards universal health coverage for the achievement of the national agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Health Care Committee Chairperson, Nobuhle Ndlovu, said they were facing several challenges that include a critical shortage of ambulances and medication. Said Ndlovu:
The challenge is that expecting mothers who come to the maternity waiting homes in clinics are complaining of hunger and this has led to some of them opting to stay home so that they could share what they have as a family.
We are facing transport challenges, you find that when a person is sick or a pregnant woman is having complications when giving birth and they call the Inyathi district, they tell us that the ambulance has no diesel hence it is difficult for it to come.
If possible, we are appealing for a local ambulance that will cover local clinics in five or six wards.
The ambulance will be on standby for critical patients who are referred to Inyathi District Hospital.
The other challenge is that of medication, the first treatment that a child has to receive is the Bacille Calmette- Guerin (BCG) which won’t be available.
The mother will stay three days in a hospital after that they go home and are given a date to come back.
When they come back again, they find it unavailable which has seen many children not taking the BCG vaccine.
| CITE