OKONGO – The Matron of Maternal and Child Health, First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba says government is committed to ensure good maternal and child health as a contribution to the sustainable development of the nation.
The First Lady this week visited the Okongo District Hospital in the Ohangwena Region where she and her developmental partners are involved in constructing a maternity waiting home.
Pohamba said one way to ensure good health care is to construct maternity waiting homes (MWHs) in bridging the geographic gap for the poor and disadvantaged women from rural areas and improving access to emergency obstetric and neonatal care services when they are needed.
“This maternity waiting home is a state-of-the-art building that will accommodate up to 80 pregnant women. Most of them to be accommodated here are those who need to be near a doctor,” stated the First Lady.
Most of the women that are now camping outside the Okongo hospital in their tents come from remote and rural areas where access to health services and transportation is difficult particular when emergency medical situations arise.
“The availability of this facility will alleviate the suffering that pregnant women endure during the erection of their own makeshift tents to stay closer to health facilities to avoid a crisis during pregnancy, child birth and the post-partum period,” further stated the First Lady.
The waiting home will cost over N$1.9 and is expected to be completed by early next year.
The construction of the maternity waiting home is part of the programmne for accelerating the reduction of maternal and child mortality, a joint partnership between the Ministry of Health and Social Services, the European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The First Lady initiated the programme.
The programme was launched in February 2013 with a budget of Euro 10 million for the period 2013-2016.
The regional council and Okongo Constituency made the land available and is tasked with the day-to-day operations of the new facility.
The health ministry will provide health information and services for pregnant women and their newborns at the centre.
By Loide Jason