bsenfuka@gmail.com
Where Are Our Country's Priorities? In #Uganda we have hundreds of health centres NOT connected at all to the National Power Grid. #Midwives are struggling daily to save thousands of women by delivering them using their cell phone torches and kerosene lamps- A health facility assessment conducted by White Ribbon Alliance Uganda in October 2013 found that out of 43 Govt health centres (IVs and IIIs) in Kabale, Lira and Mityana District, 24 of them were not connected to national power grid! Read full report http://whiteribbonalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Act-Now-to-Save-Mothers-Uganda-Campaign-Materials.pdf
As Advocates for safer #pregnancy and #childbirth, therefore we are puzzled to read headlines in our local dailies and in some international media that police arrested, interrogated and charged the Namboole stadium manager with negligence because of a less than 10-minutes power blackout when our national football team was playing against Guinea on the evening of Tuesday 9th Sept. Also the power distribution company, #Umeme immediately issued a statement about the incident that it was due to fluctuation in electricity supply. See http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Namboole-blackout--What-happened-/-/688334/2449668/-/82s2ppz/-/index.html.
We all agree that there should not be power failure at such an international game but we have not seen same action(s) by Uganda Police or other Govt agencies strongly coming out to ASK WHY our health centres are operating in darkness or even arrest those responsible to connect them to electricity because this is a matter of LIFE and DEATH!
Our Govt should rethink about our priorities. We ask our Govt to ACT urgently to FULFILL the commitments made to secure women's and children's health. Availability of electricity is essential in provision of life saving health services especially to pregnant women and their newborns.
#ActNowToSaveMothers #commit2deliver #MDGMomentum #EveryNewbornCounts
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