Nyanza: Pregnant women share beds

By KEPHER OTIENO

Nurses press milk through tiny tubes and check monitors attached to the under-developed baby.

Alarms beep constantly as electronic traces record increased heartbeat, breathing, oxygen level and blood pressure, while ventilator pipes vibrate gently.

At the incubator ward at Nyanza Provincial Hospital, discussion centres on is problems facing the maternity ward.

And this is the situation in many maternity wards in Government hospitals across Nyanza.

Whenever women are admitted to the wards for delivery, chances of premature death are high.

But Nyanza Provincial Director of Medical Services Ojwang Lusi says half of those born at 25 weeks have high chances of survival when placed in incubators.

He points out that while the mortality rate at below 25 weeks is high, it has gone down and was improving in most hospitals in the region.

He cites respiratory, brain haemorrhage and digestive problems as some of the leading causes of death in pre-term births.

Dr Lusi says availability of neo-natal medicine has increased options for doctors and parents.

Many pregnant women in Nyanza turn up more than before for antenatal care before birth, he said.

This has led to a reduction of pre-term birth, Lusi explained.

"We are exploring ways of buying the latest ultra-modern machines," he says.

He spoke as investigation by ‘The Standard’ disclosed that Nyanza Provincial Hospital’s maternity ward was congested.

Pregnant mothers at the facility now share beds as the crisis bites. When ‘The Standard’ visited the wards, many pregnant mothers complained that the situation was "very uncomfortable".

A check found some women sleeping in one bed, their heads in opposite directions due to lack of space for more beds.

Delivery wards

Hospital Medical Superintendent Juliana Otieno said delivery rooms were congested, but was quick to add that "something" was being done.

"Yes, it is true delivery wards are congested, but we are lobbying for funds to put up a new maternity ward. We have enough beds in store, but nowhere to place them, " she disclosed.

She told The Standard that the hospital was well–equipped but said the biggest challenge was expansion.

Dr Otieno said about Sh90 million was needed for the building even though multilateral donors had been asked to help.

"We are in talks with donors in the health sector to assist us equip the new maternity wing with ultra-modern machines," she says.

The medic told ‘The Standard’ on the telephone that the current unit was built in 1965 when the population was low, but demand for the facility has increased.

"Given the sharp rise in the population, we are now forced to opt for expansion to cater for the increased use of the facility," Otieno said.

Otieno said despite the predicament, they were doing all they could to ensure that pregnant women give birth safely, congestion notwithstanding.