Follow Up On Home-Delivered Babies Following Perinatal And Maternal Deaths
Health officials are making follow-ups on infants who were delivered at home during a month-long withdrawal of labour by municipal nurses.
The exercise which follows six recorded perinatal deaths and two maternal deaths in November is premised at monitoring their conditions and to provide necessary interventions where necessary.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines perinatal mortality as the number of stillbirths and deaths in the first week of life while maternal death is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.
The withdrawal of services by polyclinics forced expecting mothers to look for help from traditional midwives including the famous Mbare-based Mbuya Gwena who at one point is reported to have delivered 100 babies in eight days.
Health caregivers are, for three months now, on industrial action over unsustainable salaries and poor working conditions.
More: The Herald
