Harare, (New Ziana) – The government is working to improve conditions in maternity waiting shelters (MWS) at hospitals, ensuring that expecting mothers are provided adequate food and facilities, a senior official has said.
Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Sleiman Kwidini, told the National Assembly that expectant mothers will receive proper care while waiting to give birth in public hospitals.
With many women living far away from health facilities where life saving care is available, MWS provide a setting where high risk women can be accommodated during the final weeks of their pregnancies at hospitals with essential obstetric facilities.
“It is true that women who wish to give birth at the hospital often find themselves in waiting rooms without beds or food. The Ministry of Health is working tirelessly, alongside the Ministry of Public and Social Welfare, to address these issues by providing food for the maternity wings. We are also working on acquiring more comfortable beds for these facilities,” Kwidini told legislators during Wednesday’s question and answer session.
Legislators raised concerns that many expecting mothers were being forced to sleep on the floor, cook for themselves, and fetch water in hospitals despite being close to their due dates.
“We have not neglected the waiting mothers’ shelters. We are in the process of constructing new facilities aimed at reducing maternal complications,” Kwidini explained.
“This initiative also seeks to assist women in marginalized areas or those living far from health centers.”
Kwidini called on lawmakers to contribute to the effort by using their Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to support the construction of maternity shelters in their communities.
“This is an opportunity for Honorable Members of this House to support their communities by using their CDF funds to build maternity shelters. They should also utilize the devolution funds, allocated through local authorities, to help construct and maintain these shelters, especially those that have been neglected,” he said.
“This is a new and important initiative aimed at improving the experience of expectant mothers, particularly those living far from health centers,” he added.
Maternity waiting shelters also facilitate the reduction in maternal and neonatal mortality as well as improve maternal and neonatal outcomes by fast tracking women to emergency care should complications arise.
New Ziana
