It is always easier for expectant mothers and the midwives during delivery, especially because they have prior information about the baby’s gender and position in the mother’s womb.
This information is obtained from the mother during her antenatal care visits, where she is advised by the midwife to have scans three times during her pregnancy before giving birth.
At Kashare Health Center III, mothers and midwives are compelled to use traditional methods to determine the position of babies in the mothers’ wombs. They rely on the technique of feeling the stomach with their palms, as the health facility does not have an ultrasound machine.
Mercy Komuhangi, a midwife at Kashare Health Center III, says that the absence of the machine requires them to refer expectant mothers to costly private facilities.
She mentions that many mothers miss this important checkup because they struggle to raise the required amount for the scan, which costs between 30,000 and 40,000.
She urged the government and other relevant authorities to render a hand in having the machine.
She adds that they also face challenges with mattresses not covered by mackintosh, the material used to protect delivery beds from blood during childbirth, and expectant mothers who walk in the facility without mother kits.
However, Hon Margret Ayebare Rwebyambu, the woman member of Parliament representing Mbarara District has donated mama kits to the Health facility to solve the instant challenge during delivery.
The donation contains among others; tape measure, forceps hemostatic, scissors, weighing scale, cotton, stethoscope, resuscitation bag/mask.
Rwebyambu who is also a member of the Parliamentary Health Committee pleads for the elevation of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital to a National Hospital, to ease the delivery health services in the Ankole Sub region.
Grace Basemera, the Senior Clinical Officer at Kashare Health III, says that the facility delivers between 20 and 35 babies each month and attends to approximately 800 to 1,000 outpatients.
She acknowledged the support from Mbarara district local government that constructed accommodation for the health facility, which had long been a challenge.
Although equipping health facilities is a government responsibility, Rwebyambu also promised to donate an ultrasound machine to Bwizibwera Health Center IV.
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