ZAMBIA: Government to Construct Mother's Shelters

Source: All Africa
Government plans to construct mother's shelters in most rural health centres as a means of combating maternal mortality rates in the country.Community Development, Mother and Child Health Deputy Minister Jean Kapata said the construction of mother's shelters

would help reduce the long distances expectant mothers cover to the next health center.

"Once the mother's shelters are constructed in most rural health centres, expectant mothers will be kept at the clinic two weeks before the date of delivery to enable frequent monitoring by the health personnel," Ms Kapata said. Ms Kapata said the PF government would work hard to ensure that challenges faced in the sector were addressed and health standards are improved in the country.

She said this at the weekend when she paid a surprise visit at Mambova rural health center in Kazungula district. Ms Kapata commended the medical personnel at the clinic for their dedication in serving lives despite working under difficult situations in the area.

She said the PF government incorporated mother and child in the ministry of community development to ensure that mothers and children were cared for because they were the most vulnerable in terms of disease burden.

And Mambova rural health centre sister-in-charge Gladys Chipili called on government to consider constructing and rehabilitating already existing houses for medical personnel at the clinic.

Ms Chipili said the houses that were available were in a detonable state hence the need for construction of new ones.

"We are even worried with the onset of the rains because the floors and roofs have big cracks which will result into leakages during the rainy season," She said.

Ms Chipili said the health center have no electricity and water forcing them to walk three kilometers to Zambezi river to draw the commodity.

She appealed to government to consider addressing the water problem because it was really difficult for the health center to operate without water. "The clinic is understaffed hence the need of a clinical officer and a laboratory technician because this health center has a big catchment area," Ms Chipili said.

Zambia