Old Mutual invests K8m in safe motherhood

Old Mutual Malawi plc has donated K8 million towards safe motherhood through this year’s Nation Publications Limited (NPL) Mother’s Fun Run, an initiative that mobilises resources for the cause in public hospitals.

Presenting a symbolic cheque before taking up the sleepover challenge at Nkhata Bay District Hospital on Saturday evening, Old Mutual Malawi group chief executive officer Edith Jiya noted that pregnant women face a lot of challenges in the country.

She said it is not the duty of the government alone to save lives of its citizens and commended NPL for the initiative.

“This [K8 million] is just a starter-pack and we will continue working together in addressing some of the challenges pregnant women face,” said Jiya.

Besides the K8 million, Old Mutual also donated assorted items worth K2.5 million to women in the maternity ward at the facility where 11 babies were born on the night.

Nkhata Bay district commissioner Rodgers Newa also commended NPL for the initiative, saying it is contributing a lot in as far as saving mothers and their children’s lives is concerned in the country.

He acknowledged that the district faces a lot of challenges such as inadequate maternal health equipment.

In her speech, NPL chief executive officer Mbumba Banda thanked Old Mutual for the support.

She said NPL introduced the initiative around 2005 following the devastating stories of maternal deaths in the country.

Said Banda: “But the present story, with the sort of work that has been done and with the partners that have come to this platform, we have stories like Mzimba where we provided equipment and they were able to set up a high dependent unit.

“The doctor came back to our forum three years later, and said, that high dependent unit has led to a decline in the number of deaths at our hospital. That is what makes us every year come back and say we are going to that hospital.”

On her sleepover challenge, Jiya said it was an amazing experience where she witnessed 11 pregnant women delivering their babies.

She commended Nkhata Bay District Hospital healthcare professionals for their effort to save lives of pregnant women and their newborn babies.

Before the sleepover, Jiya, who was accompanied by Old Mutual Group company secretary Chifundo Kalaile, marketing and corporate affairs manager Patience Chatsika as well as marketing and research specialist Liviness Mmela, visited Chintheche Rural Hospital to experience challenges pregnant women face.

The Old Mutual team was joined by Banda, NPL head of learning and development Shakira Achuthan, head of marketing Enala Mphande and sales and marketing officer Doreen Magombo.

Chintheche Rural Hospital patron Kayaya Thera said the facility which caters for a population of about 30 000 people, needs a new maternity wing, saying the current building is too small to accommodate the number of pregnant women it accommodates.

He said the building, which is split into antenatal, labour ward, postnatal and nursery, was designed for about 19 beds, but the wing currently accommodates about 35 women, forcing some to sleep on the floor.

NPL targets to raise K200 million through the Mother’s Fun Run slated for October 7 2023 in Nkhata Bay.

The Mother’s Fun Run initiative takes place annually in October as part of the Mother’s Day commemoration.

NPL organises the fundraising fun run in which corporate institutions and individuals are encouraged to participate and make donations in the form of medical equipment.

The equipment is annually donated to maternity wings of public health facilities of NPL’s choice on a rotational basis among the country’s three regions.

Last year, about K100 million worth of donations were directed to Dowa District Hospital.