Labour ward under water

 By DOROTHY MARK

NURSES at the maternity ward of Madang’s Modilon Hospital stood in water to deliver babies last weekend following a downpour.

The ward was flooded last weekend because of poor drainage system.

Hospital’s director corporate services Albert Sika said the drainage system problem at the maternity ward had existed for five years. He blamed it on the poor storm water drainage system in the town.

Dirty water from the storm drain flooded the ward carrying with it debris and human waste, according to nurses working that shift.

A nurse in the maternity ward said they had to deliver babies standing in knee-deep water.

“Nurses stood in water up to their knees and delivered babies while all mothers and babies were forced on their beds until the water level decreased,” she said.

She said water from the heavy rain last Friday flowed back into the maternity ward and blood bank facilities.

Some pregnant mothers were forced to use rural hospitals in Yagaum and Alexishafen. 

“The excess storm water outlet is the main cause of this problem. We need a proper drainage system,” Sika said.

He said other hospital facilities were on higher ground and not affected.

“These facilities were not worked on due to funding limitation. We can’t do much but we are trying to find the cause of the flooding,” Sika said.

He said local contractor LBC had built a cement wall around the maternity ward to prevent flooding but that did not prevent the flood waters last Friday.

Sika said the ward would be shifted as a medium-term solution. 

A new maternity wing for the hospital has been planned for next year.