Expectant women admitted in Uganda’s Tororo main hospital are being forced to deliver on the floor on mats due to a shortage of beds in the maternity ward.
One of the expectant women told the Daily Monitor that women come with their own mats to deliver babies as a result. “We cannot blame the midwives because they try doing everything possible to deliver us safely. They are also constrained,” the woman said.
Grace Atim, the officer-in-charge of the maternity ward, told the paper that the labour suite only has six worn out beds when about 18 women deliver daily on average and 400 in a month.
“This is challenging and sometimes we are forced to help women deliver from the floor, which is unhygienic but we have no option,” Ms. Atim said.
She also says that the government should refurbish the maternity ward to attract women to deliver from the facility.
However, the State Minister for Health in-charge if General Duties, Ms. Sarah Opendi said that the beds in the maternity ward were enough.
“The maternity wing has six beds and all are functional,” Opendi said.”People should know that women do not deliver at the same time.”
Hospital administrator, Mr. Walter Oryekwun was quoted saying the bed capacity had been planned in accordance with the then small population and currently, the facility serves expectant mothers from all the neighboring districts and part of Western Kenya.
