Maternal health still a priority for Malawi President Banda
Close to 700 hundred people die in childbirth every year in Malawi, many more lose their newborns due to poor health services and inadequate health personnel. Annually, nearly 6000 Malawi women are dying from preventable and treatable complications of pregnancy.
In view of this, Malawi’s President Joyce Banda has directed the Ministry of Health to issue letter of appointments to two specialist doctors for the Ethel Mutharika Maternity hospital to ease the delivery of health services at the hospital.
A year has elapsed since they were engaged to serve at the hospital but government was yet to offer them appointment letters, resulting in their being frustrated.
- President Banda addresses the media
“I have instructed the Chief Secretary to the President and Civil Service to ensure you that the doctors are given employment letters by the end of the day today,” said President Banda at her Area 12 Residence in Lilongwe on Tuesday when she addressed the media.
The news conference was called by Her Excellency “to personally appraise” the media on “some of developments in view of the current situation we are going through”.
She said it was important that the two gynaecologists are engaged on a full-time basis because maternal health issues are dear to her heart. She pledged she would do “anything in my capacity” to ensure that the alarming maternal mortality rate is reduced.”
Before she became President, Banda has always been an advocate of safe motherhood. She has received many international awards for her work.
The Malawi leader said she is a mother and therefore fully aware f the hardships that pregnant women in Malawi go through and that her government will strive to reverse the situation.
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