By Vasinatta Yama – EMTV News, Mt Hagen
Tambul-Nebilyer district health has taken on the initiative to train village mothers to assist mid-wives and nurses deliver babies. District Health Officer, Simi Rank, in a data report says that a lot of pregnant mothers do not go to the hospital or the nearest health center to deliver their babies. Situated at a higher altitude, the district is very cold -a leading cause of death in the district is Pneumonia, and doctors are urging the people to keep warm, and eat healthy food.
Health Extension Officer, Simi Rank, says that supervised delivery in Tambul-Nebilyer electorate last year was only 527 of the 1550 mothers, who first visited the antenatal clinics in the district. Rank says there is a need for mothers to visit the hospital from the first trimester of pregnancy until delivery so that the mother and the baby’s health are monitored to prevent infant death mortality.
The lack of visitation by pregnant mothers to the clinics and hospitals in Tambul-Nebilyer electorate has forced the district health services and Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority to partner with UNICEF to train village mothers to be mid-wives. These mothers are volunteers who support nurses and midwives deliver babies in the health centres or sometimes at home.
Tambul-Nebilyer’s health centers and clinics also need new ambulances and infrastructure maintenance and faced with lack of nurses and doctors working in the districts.
Mt Hagen General Hospital CEO, David Vorst, who is also a board member of the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority, promised that the health authority will provide the needed services.
The Tambul-Nebilyer District Development Authority (DDA), through the District Services Improvement Program Fund, has allocated 2 Million Kina to build the new district hospital.
DDA CEO, Philip Talpa, assured his people that the local MP, Win Daki, and the DDA will partner with WHPHA, AusAID and other donor partners to build the hospital.
