Infant deaths blamed on traditional beliefs
Chitipa District Hospital has blamed the tendency by expectant women to take traditional medicine believed to induce quick deliveries as contributing to increasing infant deaths in the district.
The hospital’s safe motherhood coordinator George Nkhoma made the observation on Tuesday during a community sensitisation meeting on safe motherhood and maternal health organised by White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (Wrasm). The meeting was held at Lwakwa Primary School in the area of Chief Mwaulambia.
He said: “Most neonatal deaths recorded in the district are caused by use of traditional medicine by expectant mothers to quicken delivery process.”
Nkhoma also observed that some people do not comply with hospital advice to take expectant women for antenatal services.
Wrasm programme manager Nancy Kamwendo commended midwives in Chitipa for their commitment to ensure safe deliveries for expectant women despite numerous challenges the hospital was facing.
“Let me commend midwives from Chitipa District Hospital for their love and compassion towards expectant women which is why there are a few accidents during deliveries,” she said.
Kamwendo described midwifery as tough work which calls for the highest degree of commitment to ensure safety of babies and expectant women during labour.
Wrasm board member Marvin Hanke appealed to government to allocate more resources in hospitals to alleviate problems that interfere with delivery of quality maternal services. n
