Couples advised to put off pregnancy plans next year

By LULU MARK
COUPLES have been strongly advised not to plan for pregnancy next year and Prof Glen Mola is urging all pregnant women to get vaccinated immediately as Coronavirus (Covid-19) maternal deaths are high.
“Currently, about 45 women go to the Port Moresby General Hospital labour ward to give birth daily and 10 per cent (or four) are Covid-19 infected.
“Non-Covid maternal deaths are about one per month, but the Covid-19 deaths this month were 10,” he said.
Mola, who is the hospital’s head of reproductive health, obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Papua New Guinea, said: “We are so busy looking after the people dying from the Covid-19 and the very sick that we do not have the resources to look after pregnancy at the same time.
“Also, the staff are coming down with Covid-19 infections which means that they have to stay away from work for two weeks in isolation at home.
“Pregnant women and their families should get vaccinated and do not plan a pregnancy until the epidemic is over,” he said, adding that the peak of this surge would not be reached until the end of this year. And when we peak, there could be a plateau of continued awfulness,” he lamented.
Responding to questions about a woman being fully vaccinated, but died from the Covid-19 while in the labour ward, Mola said that woman had only one jab and that was just two weeks before she died and only a few days before she started becoming ill.
“She got the vaccine too late.
“The vaccine takes two months to work and be fully effective.
“This woman was definitely not fully vaccinated.”