EXPECTANT MOTHER WITH POOR OBSTETRIC HISTORY EVACUATED FROM LAKE BUNYONYI COORDINATED UNDER KIGEZI LOCAL MATERNAL AND NEONATAL STRATEGY TEAM

Related Articles

SOME KARAMOJA POLITICIANS ALLEGEDLY FRUSTRATE EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES, ONLY PS DR DIANA ATWINE CAN STOP THIS

December 15, 2023

CSOs CALL FOR DOMESTIC HEALTH SECURITY FINANCING AS THE WORLD RECOVERS FROM COVID19

December 14, 2023

The Hidden Toll of Open Cast Gold Mining on Health, Environment: The Case of Uganda and Burundi

November 15, 2023

EXPECTANT MOTHER WITH POOR OBSTETRIC HISTORY EVACUATED FROM LAKE BUNYONYI COORDINATED UNDER KIGEZI LOCAL MATERNAL AND NEONATAL STRATEGY TEAM

By Goodluck Musinguzi

Right timing, good coordination and improved referral services in Kigezi Region saved a mother and child who reached Bwama Health Center III at 9:30 pm on 22nd June 2023.

An Enrolled Midwife, Mabrith Ariho received Ms Rebecca Twinamatsiko after crossing Lake Bunyonyi from Nyabigore village, Kitooma Parish, Rubaya Sub-county in Kabale District.

“Immediately I examined the expectant mother, I found out she was fine but had a poor obstetric history which indicates the mother had issues with previous pregnancies that include stillbirth, miscarriage, abortion and other unwanted conditions like over bleeding”, Mabrith Ariho said.

At 5TH pregnancy, I categorized her to be a risk mother that needed to be referred to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital. At 9:55 pm I made a request for the Ministry of Health Boat Ambulance under our In-Charge of Bwama Health Center III and UPDF Marine Brigade.

She informed the expectant mother Rebecca Twinamatsiko, Husband Mr Norman Turihohabwe and Mother-In-Law about the Referral which worried them so much. The husband pleaded with her saying they don’t have money to get transport from the lake to the landing site and then after towards Kabale Town.

“Please it’s at night don’t refer us because we might encounter problems on the way as we don’t have enough money. Everything will be fine here but we can’t risk leaving under the cover of darkness”, Mr Norman Turihohabwe said

Meanwhile, Midwife Mabrith Ariho was working on her phone coordinating with different centres that would make this referral a success. First, the In-Charge of the Health Center was available to support, and the UPDF Marine Brigade Soldiers were on standby. From her side, everything was very ok.

“At 9:49pm I posted in the WhatsApp Group for Kigezi Local Maternity and neonatal strategic group, I asked for advice on how to proceed with the referral. Good evening, members some advice on this, I have a mother in labour, 6 cm, has hx of pph(8 years ago), hx of multiple pregnancies 3 years ago. Should I continue to monitor or refer???? Thanks.”, Mabrith Ariho

Annet Nayiga responds at 9:49pm, She is a gravida what? Which level of service delivery? Mabrith replies She is AG 5 P4+1 from Bwama Health Center III. Arineitwe B Edward replies, please refer the mother to the hospital level.

Nayiga says to refer immediately. Edward B Aineitwe says “Given the hx of PPH and multiple pregnancies, she is a high-risk mother that would have been identified during the Antenatal visits and got linked to the MCH team at the hospital level. Mabrith Ariho says we need oxytocin to help in case she produces on the way.

Dr Geoffrey Bandoga Obs Gynecologists at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital says noted Bwama HC III has no oxytocin. We get in touch with Mr Paddy Assistant District Health Officer. Dr Mugaya asks if the facility has emergency referral services like an ambulance because you may need that service if the mother is in your ward now.

Our Kabale Emergency Medical Services focal point person should help out immediately. Midwife Mabrith Ariho replies we only have a water ambulance provided by the Ministry of Health operated by UPDF Marine Brigade and it’s on standby.

Dr Mugaya replies Dr Geoffrey Bandoga can we have our Emergency Medical Services support with an ambulance here for this mother as I predict they will get stranded on land from Bwama Health Center III to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital. Edward B Arineitwe says it is not a prediction but a reality, from Bwana Health Center III in the middle of Lake Bunyonyi to the lake shores is very fine but from Lake shores to Kabale RRH. At 10:18

Dr Geoffrey Bandoga says I am coordinating, immediately he says an ambulance was dispatched to pick patient and 10 ampoules of oxytocin to be delivered to the facility now. At 10:20 the ambulance was on its way 8kms to Lake Bunyonyi shores. Mabrith Ariho says they set off at 10:30pm for a journey of 3 km, midwife on board and the team of

UPDF Officers as they escorted us safely to the shores. At 10:51 we handed over the patient to the Emergency Medical Services team and now they were in safe hands en route to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital.

“I feel happy for Ms Rebecca Twinamatsiko and her family because they delivered at midnight under the watch of experts at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital. If we never had the Ministry of Health Water Ambulance we would have strangled with fuel for our small motor boat. We thank the Ministry of Health for supporting us with this facility?, says Mabrith Ariyo.

She says Ms Rebecca Twinamatsiko and her husband Norman Turihohabwe promised to get family planning services after delivering the baby safely. Dr Geoffrey Bandoga, Coordinator of Kigezi Local Maternity and Neonatal Strategy says it was a nice thing for us as a team because immediately we got to know we started the action by calling her.

We understood the challenge and acted in real-time. The couple has their baby currently under watch before returning home. “All in all we loved the coordination, everyone was aware of their responsibility which is to prevent the death of mothers and children. Our goal is to eliminate all preventable death. Yes, we have challenges with stock outs but we are going to come up with a budget.” Said Dr Bandoga.

We thank Uganda Health Activity under USAID, GtoG but we need more support. The fund we are planning for will help the secretariat respond to emergencies. The Minister of Health Hon Jane Ruth Aceng and Dr Diana Atwine are set to chair the joint performance review of Kigezi Region in August at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital.