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| Installation is already underway |
By Nsinda Elman
White Ribbon Alliance Uganda
On
6th March of 2013 Kigezi region saw hope being restored for mothers when the
regional populace witnessed the launch of a three year maternal health project code-named “Saving Lives at Birth (SLAB)”,
by three partners including The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood-
Uganda, African
Medical and Research Foundation Uganda (AMREF) and We Care Solar.
Under the Saving Lives
at Birth project, 200 health centres in Kabale, Kisoro, Kanungu and Rukungiri
districts will be provided with solar power to ensure reliable lighting in
maternity wards, delivery rooms and operating theaters.
Speaking during
the official launch of the project at White Horse Inn, Kabale Town on
Wednesday 6th March 2013, The National Coordinator White Ribbon
Alliance Uganda disclosed that the alliance would like to use such an
innovation as a research case to find out how it can contribute to motivation
of health workers and reduction of maternal and neonatal deaths. She also said
that WRA Uganda will ensure that communities are empowered to hold their
leaders and maternal health service providers in public facilities accountable
and demand what they deserve such as more budget allocations to maternal health.
The AMREF Ag.
Project Manager Morish Ojok said that: “the project is aimed at helping
midwives who have been struggling with candle light to deliver pregnant
mothers, with sufficient light so that they are able to save lives of mothers
and their newborns.
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| A kerosene lantern used at Bigunjiro Health Centre in Kabale district to provide lighting at the facility. It'is one of the facilities to benefit from the solar power installations through SLAB project |
Kabale District Health Officer, Dr Patrick Tusiime, expressed optimism about the project and described it as a real victory for the region. He however showed concern about the absence of more other supplies and equipment which should be used such as delivery beds, delivery kits and sterilizing equipment.
Among other things
to be provided to health centers are laptops to capture maternal and neonatal
data as well as facilitating eLearning for midwives and nurses. The solar suit
case also comes with an electronic Fetal Doppler for sensing the pulses of
the pregnant woman and her feotus, rechargeable headlamps and a provision for
charging mobile phones.
An estimated one
million mothers living in Kigezi Sub-region are expected to benefit
from the
SLAB project.
Let us act
collectively to save our dear women during pregnancy and childbirth.
Dear Elman
ReplyDeleteThank you for this interesting blog about the project launch but I will bring out a point which was in Dr. Tusiime's speech about Kigezi region .He said that the region is such a unique place where during night you move out of your house and stand in your compound on the top of the hill and you can’t hear any noise or sound of any animal and you force your eyes to see an object next to your feet because the all place is full darkness from hill to valleys. Imagine in such a situation you have a mother inside your house who is in labor pains and when you think of going to the nearby health facility it will take you four hours to reach. if you manage to get to the facility you find the facility in total darkness an you have to go to the nearby shops and buy paraffin to light the candle.
This project is timely and DHO thanked AMREF, White Ribbon Alliance and We Care Solar for considering Kigezi region to be the beneficiaries.
As you may be aware we have a number of our facilities in the same situation but we need to work with our leaders to demand for a change in attitude and also actions but i would like to thank all Midwives in the country who are working day and night to save our mothers and newborns
David Ssebuggwawo
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