Flooded labour ward forces Mums, babies to stay in bed

By DOROTHY MARK
NEWBORN babies and pregnant women at Madang’s Modilon Hospital were forced to remain on their beds as ankle-deep water flooded the labour ward on Monday night.
The labour ward is situated in an area where water from all directions in the hospital flow to. Every time there’s heavy rain, mothers and guardians are forced to stay up on the beds with their babies.
It is hard and dangerous for women who have just given birth to move around, go to the toilet or shower in slippery conditions. Rain began last Tuesday evening and continued until midday yesterday.
Moses Kumura, from Bundi, who went to assist a relative at the labour ward, said the ward needed immediate upgrading.
“We should not have such an important facility vulnerable to flooding,” he said.
Kumura appealed to the hospital management and Madang government to look into the problem and fix it quickly.
The hospital’s chief executive could not be reached for comment.
In town, offices and shops also flooded.
Madang disaster and emergency acting director Rudolf Mongallee said people should stay away from tall trees and be alert about erosions and landslides as “we are going through an unpredictable weather” system.