Malawi woman pregnant for 13 months, hospital ‘refusing’ to induce labour

A Nsanje woman who claimed to have 13 months pregnant is in great anguish as the health facility medics are refusing to induce labour on her as the pregnancy has gone on too long .

Cecelia Chifunga has been going to Sorgin health facility to access antenatal services but has been denied by the authorities as they have been demanding her to be accompanied by her husband.

Considering the importance of attending to antenatal services but also to deliver at a health facility to achieve the concept of safe motherhood, the woman and her traditional leaders has been pleading with the health facility authorities to grant an opportunity of accessing the services considering the fact that her husband left for Mozambique while her  pregnancy was in its initial stages.

Chifunga, 33 very wretched at her home village Nkotamo in the area of traditional authority Mbenje in the district,  said she is finding it hard to believe in what is happening to her as she fears for her life but also of the unborn baby.

“I was in Blantyre by the time I got pregnant. Then I thought of going to the village when my husband went to Mozambique. When I went to my village, I visited Sorgin health facility to start accessing antenatal services.

“The medics at the health facility denied me the access as they demanded me to come with the husband. I tried to explain to them that the husband is in Mozambique however they could not take it.

“For several times, I have been bringing letters from our Group Village Head Nkotamo who equally explained to them that my husband is in Mozambique but nothing positive came out,” said a woman who has five children.

Most pregnancies last for about 9months and doctors are likely to induce labor if pregnancy goes on too long.

After her due date for  delivery has passed, and the pregnant has reached 13 months, the woman went to the health facility where she was given a chance to access the services, unfortunately it was discovered that the fetus has changed its normal direction and needs operation.

“I was referred to the Nsanje district hospital. Surprisingly, I was asked to find my own means of transport to the district hospital as the facility had no fuel. They asked me to purchase fuel for tricycle ambulance to ferry me to the district hospital. As  you can see, I have completely nothing and cannot afford the transport to the hospital,” explained the woman.

The woman, who was looking disgruntled, said she fears for her life and that of the unborn baby as the current situation is becoming unbearable.

Nsanje District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. Alexander Chijuwa in an interview received the news with shock as he said the woman would have been assisted by the medics at the health facility without delay.

“I don’t understand what really happened for the medics at the facility to treat the woman as you are explaining it. We only encourage the women to be accompanied with their husband when attending to antenatal services. The situation of the woman is understandable and she could have been assisted. I don’t know if she really met the medics.

“You know people in the village think that whosoever is working at the health facility is a medical staff, so it can happen that she has been meeting wrong people. Therefore, we need to sensitive the communities so that they can know who is supposed to provide them with medical services at the health facility,” Dr. Chijuwa explained.

The Nsanje DHO said as an immediate action, will meet the Sorgin health facility staff to ensure that the woman identified as she needs instant support.

“I am sure that the issue of transportation here cannot hold water as we have several partners who can assist in ferrying the woman to district hospital for support. They are supposed to be innovative when dealing with such sensitive issues. Let me agree that we have been facing challenges in terms of fuel however the situation needs urgent consideration,” said Chijuwa.

Kuchene Women Forum a grouping that spearhead women’s rights in the district said the woman needs urgent medical attention as it is her right.

The forum’s Director Gertrude Kalosi described the situation as a total negligence and need not to be tolerated in the modern society.

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