A total of 250 maternal deaths has been registered at Mbale regional referral hospital, eastern Uganda in the last five years.

By Emmanuel Sanya Mango The Uganda Eye

In a report released by Dr. Otim Tom Charles the head of gynaecology department, in 2006-2007 physical year a total of 60 expectant mothers died. Adding that in 2007-2008 64 mothers died, while in 2008-2009, the number was steadily reducing having recorded a total of 44 mothers who died, while in 2009-2010 39 mothers died, in 2010-2011 the number of the mothers who died during labour shot up with 49 mothers dying, bringing the total number of mothers who have lost life to 256.

Dr Otim in his report “titled the situation of maternal health in Mbale region” notes that most of the deaths that occurred at Mbale region referral hospital had been due to lack of drugs and supplies that included Oxytonic, Hydralazine, magnesium saluphets (mg so4) Anesthetics , Antibiotic, Laparotomy and shortage of Blood that would be used by the medical officers to help mothers have safe deliveries .

Poor medical attention
Dr Otim also attributed the deaths of expectant mother in most of the health units within the region to personnel delay by the mothers themselves to seek help from medical personal in time, lack of
partners support saying husbands leave their wives to struggle with labour on their own.

He also notes that refusal by expectant mother to seek referral to major hospital, in case of any complication and the use of herbal medication during pregnancy rather than attending antenatal was part of the cause.

Lost twins
However this newspaper last week, published a story of a mother who lost her twines at Mbale regional referral hospital due negligence by the medical personnel who was attending to her.

20 year old Zirabamuzale Amina, says she pleaded in vain to the midwives on duty help attend to her. “When I started having my labour pains, I asked the midwife on duty to help me but she asked me for UGX 10,000. And when I said I don’t have the money, she just left me. It is at this point that I tried pushing for the baby and when the first one came out no one was there to help me, he bleed to death, and immediately I felt more labour pains it was the second baby and the same thing happened” she told this news amidst prolonged tears pain.

The hospital administration has been dragged to court over this.

In the report Dr Otim said that due to lack of these basic services some expectant mothers died after developing complications such as puerperal sepsis, Eclampsia, Anaesthetic cx, Anaemia in preg while others died of uterine rupture, abortions, all these complications that come about due to lack of proper medical management of a pregnancy its early stages.

335 mothers underwent caecilian operation
The report also indicates that over 335 expectant mothers underwent caecilian operation due to obstructed labour at the same hospital, and that in 2009-2010 there were at least 89 cases of fistula while in 2010 to present over 86 mothers were operated after their uterus had ruptured.

Like any one seeking for PR, Otim argues that irrespective of the deaths, there has been decline in the number of expectant mothers drying in the last five year from 60 in 2006 to 49 in 201.

As way of addressing this unfriendly situation, the hospital management recently patterned with non governmental organisation (NGO) Kissito international health care to boost the capacity of the practicing gynaecologist in the region