19 Oct 2020

Ghanzi Primary Hospital has a waiting area for expectant women, thanks to constituency projects funding.

The eight-bed facility has bathrooms, toilets and suited with a television set.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony of the facility on Friday, Ghanzi East Sub-council senior assistant council secretary, Mr Thatayotlhe Balapi, said they had long desired to have such facility, but lack of funds was a major impediment.

Mr Balapi said the project was delivered through constituency community project funding to the tune of over P1.2 million and its construction started in 2018.

The primary hospital chief medical officer, Dr Biyangidiki Finini, stated that the project was the first of its kind in Ghanzi region.

Dr Finini explained that the facility would improve accessibility to skilled care and in turn reduce morbidity and mortality for both mothers and the new born.

He highlighted that most of facilities under Ghanzi health management team did not have maternity services, therefore, expected mothers had to travel long distances to access this services in the primary hospital.

He said the district had not been spared from maternal deaths.

Dr Finini said by having a waiting area in their facility, they would be able to prevent these maternal deaths since appropriate treatment would be provided on time and care by qualified health professionals.

Also, he said  the waiting area would also give expectant mothers an opportunity to be given health education about pregnancy, giving birth and neonatal care.

Dr Finini said expecting mothers would be also under the care of midwives and doctors and would be attended to on time in case complications arose as compared to when they were at settlements.

For his part, Ghanzi East Sub-district Council vice chairperson, Mr Barapetse Nkamane hailed the project saying it was appropriate to have taken deliberate decision to build such facility. ENDS