World Bank employees in MFR challenge

 When World Bank Malawi transport specialist Chikondi Nsusa and team assistant Towera Kachingwe Mpando arrived at Kachere Health Centre in Nkhata Bay at about 19:45 hours on Friday, they were welcomed by the birth of a baby girl who was named Maria.

The two were at the health facility to participate in a Mother’s Fun Run (MFR) Sleepover Challenge to experience problems women face during child delivery in public health facilities.

The challenge is part of the MFR Nation Publications Limited (NPL) runs to mobilise resources to support health facilities with life-saving equipment for the benefit of mothers and babies in child birth.

Later in the night, they had a surprise visit from NPL chief executive officer Mbumba Banda and the company’s head of learning and development Shakira Achuthan.

At the facility, they met women who were waiting to deliver.

In an interview, Kachingwe Mpando said she lost her niece in childbirth following shortage of resources at a health facility in Blantyre.

She said the pain of that loss motivated her to take up the challenge to help in raising funds for the purchase of some of the needed equipment in public health facilities in the district.

Said Kachingwe Mpando: “Some deaths of newborn babies and mothers are avoidable and I, too, have the responsibility to contribute to safe motherhood in Malawi.

“Someone close to me died during childbirth due to limited resources at one of the public hospitals. It was one of those deaths which could have been avoided if there were enough resources.”

Nsusa said she felt this was her opportunity to see what mothers in rural areas go through during child delivery.

She said: “We see what happens in the country, especially mortality rates for mothers and newborns and their living conditions. We don’t really get to see that firsthand, although it is widely reported.

Nsusa said she was happy to have met and interacted with the 10 expectant mothers and hospital staff involved in safe motherhood.

However, she was saddened to hear that most deaths result from the lack of equipment which can easily be procured.

Said Nsusa: “Most of the equipment are not expensive. When you consider that, for instance, a child can easily die of asphyxiation just because they don’t have a penguin sucker that costs K5 000 to help the baby breathe. It really gets to you.

Painting a picture of the safe motherhood efforts at the facility, nurse/midwife technician Ronnex Mbale pointed out some of the challenges they face.

For instance, he said most pregnant women start antenatal care late due to long distances to health facilities and cultural beliefs that are against revealing pregnancies in the early stages.

He said lack of equipment to effectively serve the mothers and newborn babies is another challenge.

“Sometimes, we may deliver a baby with some complications, like asphyxia and we need to sustain that baby. But because we don’t have some equipment such as oxygen concentrators, suction machines, or penguin suckers we may lose that baby.

“Space is another big challenge because our labour ward is too small. In a week, we deliver about 10 babies, and sometimes we may receive two or three women in one night. With a bigger labour ward, we can have all things in place.”

Kachere Health Centre is one of Nkhata Bay District Hospital’s satellite health facilities. The facility also needs a resuscitaire, sterile delivery packs and a working steriliser, among other things.

Nkhata Bay District has made some improvements in safe motherhood in its 25 satellite health facilities, but with additional support, the district is expected to provide the best care to mothers and children in the district.

This year, NPL targets to raise K200 million through the MFR slated for October 7 2023 in Nkhata Bay.

MFR is an initiative that 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 wing of public health facilities of NPL’s choice on a rotatational basis among the country’s three regions.

Last year, about K100 million worth of donations were directed to Dowa District Hospital, and this year, the event will take place in Nkhata Bay.