Traditional Authority Santhe has pleaded with government through the Ministry of Health to provide medical equipment to Santhe Health Centre located in Kasungu District in order to address the problem of long distance to health services which is being faced by pregnant women in the area.
The T/A has made the plea today as Malawi joins the rest of the world in commemorating International Day of the Midwife 2022 which falls on 5 May every year.
This year’s commemoration took place at Santhe Ground in Kasungu District under the theme “100 years of progress”.
T/A Santhe said that the health centre has no equipment and materials that are used during baby delivery a situation which forces pregnant women to go to Kasungu District Hospital.
She added that they have also few medical personnel at the centre who live in rented houses due lack of staff houses at the health centre a problem which is making the midwives to fail to assist pregnant mothers in their localities.
“Honorable Minister, we have a lot of problems here at Santhe but the major ones are the ones that I have mentioned earlier. Although it is the case, we have land where a big Rural Health Centre like Kabudura can be built so please our Minister consider our request. We also need an ambulance at this facility,” she said
On her part, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said that they have taken a note of the problems that have been presented by the chief.
Kandodo then asked health workers to work in a professional manner because women are worrying that they are being insulted when they go to hospitals to seek medical attention and she also asked them to dress properly because dressing matters most when it comes to professional.
“Let me take this opportunity to ask women who are present here and others to go for family planning methods so that we can have health lives and as well as our children. My vision as a Minister is to hear good reports about our midwives,” she said.
On his part, President of Association of Malawian Midwives (AMAMI) President Keith Lipato asked the government to recruit more qualified health workers in health centres and also to increase their salaries considering that the amount of money they receive at the end of the month is low.
At the end of the ceremony, there was a presentation of wards to best Midwives and Veteran Midwives.
A study by White Ribbon Alliance that was conducted to over 5,000 Midwives shows that the midwives need equipments and supplies, renumeration, professional development, staffing and improved infrastructure.
