Medics save mother with two dead fetuses

Medics in the island district of Kalangala   have saved the life of Ms Honest Katusiime, a 25 - Kalangala medics saved the life of Honest Katusiime, a 25-year-old mother from Kussu Landing Site who was carrying twins with two dead fetuses for 10 days.

According to Ms Katusiime, a resident of Kitobbo landing site, she was diagnosed with Malaria and later vaginal bleeding on January 17, while in her second trimester.

"I visited a private clinic on Kussu landing site where I was put on medication. However, after recovering, I felt my baby losing energy," she said in an interview on Sunday.

"When I realized my baby wasn't making any movements as it was supposed to be, I decided to go for a checkup at Kalangala Health Centre IV, but since I did not have any money, I decided to wait for a free health camp where I discovered I had twins and they had died inside the womb 10 days ago," she said.

A medical camp organized by Kalangala Health Centre IV and Bridge to Health Global at the Kitobbo landing site in Bufumira Sub County on February 6, 2024 provided free medical treatment to expectant women.

The in-charge of Kalangala Health Centre IV, Frank Kisakye, has advised expectant mothers not to self-medicate during the nine-month pregnancy period.

"Taking medicines that shouldn't be taken at a particular trimester, drinking too much alcohol, or suffering from severe malaria can all lead to such complications," he said.

He further advised expectant mothers to have regular checkups.

According to Ms Agnes Gimono, the district women councilor for Bufumira Sub County, access to government health facilities for expecting mothers on the islands is still a challenge.

"So many women have died on distant islands while giving birth due to a lack of affordable and accessible transport," she said.

In order to save mothers' lives, Bridge to Health Global Chief Executive Officer Caroline Trisise said more needs to be done to improve accessibility and retool health workers in health centers III and II.

According to medics, internationally over 85 percent of pregnancies are lost unknowingly due to less knowledge about the causes.

Many women in Kalangala spend between Shs100,000 and Shs300,000 to access better health services at Kalangala Health Centre IV or Masaka Regional Referral Hospital.

A person needs to rent a boat, buy fuel, and pay a boat skipper to sail from one island to another to access a health facility.

"The Ministry of Health should replicate the same arrangement so that specialized doctors can offer services through mobile medical camps,” said Dr. Michel Suuna, a medic attached to Kalangala Health Centre IV. Kalangala District has 16 health centers, two of which are Health Centre IVs, seven of which are Health Centre IIIs, and seven of which are Health Centre IIs. Only the Kalangala Health Centre IV, which is located on Buggala Island, provides scanning services.