Do more to promote maternal health

Health experts at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital have attributed the rampant obstetric fistula cases to mothers who do not want to deliver in hospitals. 
 In our November 19 story titled, “Health experts blame fistula cases on TBAs”, Dr David Mwirumubi, a medical officer attached to obstetrics and gynaecology department at the hospital, reveals that when the facility organised a camp for obstetric fistula, they received more than 10 mothers in a day.

 Obstetric fistula is a condition where a hole develops between the birth canal and bladder and/or rectum. It is caused by prolonged, obstructed labour without access to timely, high quality medical treatment. It leaves women leaking urine, feaces or both, and often leads to chronic depression, isolation, and poverty.
The Ministry of Health states that the number of women with obstetric fistula to be at about 140,000 to 200,000.

Many women usually become victims because some health centres or the traditional birth attendants (TBAs) they choose to go to can’t handle these birth complications which when not dealt with appropriately end up in obstetric fistula or even death.
It is good that the experts know where the problem is, i.e, why so many women needlessly end up with obstetric fistula, which according to the health workers at Fort Portal Regional Hospital is partly due to delivering outside capable hospitals.
 However, it would now make more sense to devise means to change that unfortunate trend and see to it that mothers seek medical assistance from hospitals, especially those equipped to handle any complications that could arise.

The onus is on all stakeholders including community leaders to establish why even after numerous awareness campaigns, and even the outlawing of traditional birth attendants in 2010 by government, some women still choose to go to them rather than hospitals. 
When this is established, we believe it would be easier to close whatever gaps might exist that keep mothers away from professional healthcare causing needless death or conditions such as obstetric fistula.

 For areas where it hasn’t already been done, sensitisation should continually be done hand-in-hand with health centres to encourage pregnant women to seek medical attention from hospitals rather than grapple in isolation with complications too risky for under equipped traditional birth attendants to handle, putting the lives of women and their babies in danger. Known TBAs should also be engaged to work together with hospitals for a better outcome.