Doctor: Many die from unsupervised deliveries

 MANY mothers die from infections and complications due to unsupervised deliveries and urgent action is needed to prevent such deaths, a doctor says. 

Western Highlands provincial health authority (WHPHA) director for Curative Health Services, Dr John Kiap told of the tragedy during the launching of the provincial maternal health task force and maternal death review committee. 

Kiap said after seeing the results of what was happening in the communities, it was decided that a committee must be formed to address maternal health issues.

“Our motto is ‘no mother or child should die during pregnancy, childbirth or post-partum period” and we must all live up to this’,” he said.

WHPHA has initiated the committee comprising doctors and nurses from WHPHA, its service partners such as Susu Mamas, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Anglicare, Marie Stopes and Church Health Services as well as faith-based organisations and the Police Sexual Violence and Child Protection Unit.

During the meeting Kiap said about 250,000 babies were born every year and only 36 per cent of these were supervised deliveries.

He said family planning coverage across the country ranged from 20-24 per cent on average and that was not good enough.

A representative from Susu Mamas said that if a woman attended ante-natal classes at Susu Mamas or one of the other service providers in Hagen Central, her probability of having a supervised delivery increased to 98 per cent. This resulted in much better health outcomes for both mothers and their babies.

The panel is believed to be the first to be formed outside Port Moresby and will have its own terms of reference (TOR) but will be in line with the guidelines set by the National Maternal Health Task Force.