The ManicaPost
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Senior Reporter
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has moved in to improve maternal health service delivery in areas affected by Cyclone Idai with hundreds of pregnant women benefiting from the initiative.
The programme dubbed ‘Increasing access to comprehensive obstetric and maternal health care services by pregnant mothers’ targets the provision of medical supplies to hospitals in Chimanimani and Chipinge.
More than 75 mothers have benefited since March when the majority of them were airlifted from various hard-hit villages to different hospitals.
Provincial Medical Director Dr Patron Mafaune said the ministry had identified five health institutions for mothers to deliver safely during the disaster period.
She said UNFPA had provided mattresses, blankets, mommy kits, medical supplies, fuel for ambulances and other sundries worth about $16 million.
UNFPA also pledged to procure equipment worth US$250 000 for various health facilities in the districts.
“Initially, we had identified Chipinge General Hospital, Birchenough Bridge Hospital, Nyanyadzi Rural Hospital, Gudyanga Clinic and Mutambara Mission Hospital for mothers with gestation age 36 weeks and above to deliver safely,” she said.
“These sites were supplied with sundries, staff and food items to cater for mothers, especially from Chimanimani. This facility was put in place as most facilities in the district were inaccessible due to damaged roads. However, of late access to health facilities has improved and now we are returning to normal routine service delivery.”
Dr Mafaune said the programme had originally targeted over 100 women who had been detected after a survey to identify pregnant mothers who needed to be moved to hospitals.
However, some of the women declined the offer to be airlifted, choosing to deliver at local clinics.
She said those who were airlifted in the initial phase were taken to Chipinge General Hospital after it was discovered that Mutambara Mission Hospital was still inaccessible.
Access to the hospital has since been restored, allowing women from Chimanimani to be transferred there by road.
Dr Mafaune said the ministry had also received assistance from Family Health International (FHI 360) who facilitated the expedition of labour for women admitted at Chipinge hospital.
“Initially, all women were taken to Chipinge General Hospital as it was accessible. The hospital became congested and FHI facilitated voluntary C-sections and induced labour in some of the women. Eventually pressure eased and the hospital was able to attend to the mothers as they came in,” she added.
Provincial maternal and child care officer Dr Admire Maravanyika said the programme with UNFPA was set to continue as some of the medical equipment under the US$250 000 facility had already been procured.
“UNFPA is currently procuring various equipments that include anaesthetic machines, autoclaves for Birchenough Bridge Hospital, delivery packs among many others. In fact, some of the machines were due for delivery yesterday,” said Dr Maravanyika.
The Manica Post this week visited Mutambara Mission Hospital where several pregnant mothers who were airlifted to deliver.
Though the women had sad stories to tell about how their lives had been affected by the cyclone, commended the swift response by Government to move them from the disaster areas.
Maria Mandevhana (20), of Muchadziya village she had been airlifted to Chipinge before being transferred to Mutambara Mission Hospital by road on April 11.
“I thank God that none of my relatives died, but my bedroom hut was destroyed. This is my first pregnancy so when the cyclone came, I did not know what to do. We were airlifted from Muchadziya to Chipinge General Hospital. I came here by road when the roads became passable. I have not faced any challenges since coming here because we are being taken care of. I am just waiting for my baby to come so
that I can go back home to be with my husband,” she said.
Another mother, Margaret Matsanamure (30) from Makombere village also explained how she was moved to Chipinge after local doctors had examined her.
“I was airlifted from Vimba Primary School to Chipinge, and on 11 April, was transferred to Mutambara Mission. We lost all our food so when I came here, I had no food. However, I have been getting enough food since then. I left two kids with my mother. I have not had any challenges here,” she said.
Mutambara Mission Hospital medical superintendent Dr Emmanuel Mefor said the hospital had been coping well with the support from the ministry.
“When the cyclone hit, our main challenge was medicines and food for the patients, but the ministry has been providing these. We received medications recently and had a delivery of food items two weeks back. With assistance from various stakeholders, we were able to handle the situation,” he said.
“Most of the mothers who came in after the disaster have delivered and were airlifted back to their homes. We still have a few who came during the peak of the disaster, but the majority of mothers at our waiting home are those who came in on their own when the roads became accessible,” he said.
