Locals accuse Politicians of contributing to maternal complications

By Chikondi Chikabadwa 

Lack of political  will on maternal health matters has been described as  major cause of maternal related problems in the Malawi’s northern border, Karonga district, a development that has forced community members to summon their parliamentary candidates in the forthcoming elections to express their commitment towards addressing high maternal deaths and other complications.

  

Among the issues the electorates are demanding their national assembly representatives to explain how they would advocate for more funding for the health sector and their personal commitment towards addressing major issues contributing to the said problem.

According the District Chief Nursing Officer Emily Gondwe, most of the maternal deaths happening in the district are due to lack of maternal health facilities, personnel and equipment, and most parliamentarians for the district appear to be silent on the development hence the community members want to hear their commitment towards the matter and vote for the candidate meeting their needs on maternal issues.

Senior Chief Wasambo of Karonga

“Most women walk long distances to access antenatal services hence most deliver at home or enroot to Chilumba Rural Hospital  because there are no such services at health facilities within their areas due to lack of structures such as maternal wings”, Gondwe saidduring  public debates for the aspiring candidates for Karonga South, and Karonga Nyungwe constitutes.

The debates were supported by the Foundation for Community Support Services (FOCUS) which is implementing the Enhanced Community Based maternal and Neonatal health project in areas of Senior Chief Wasambo and Mwirang’ombe in the district with funding from Christian Aid under the Scottish government.

However, the community members believe such problems would beeasilyaddressed if their Members of Parliament would support them with construction of maternity wings in all health facilities in the district and ensure that the facilities are always fully equipped with necessity medical equipment.

“We have been contributing low materials for constructing such facilities such as sand and bricks but we have been lacking commitmentfrom our Parliamentarians such as financial support hence women are suffering in silence”, said Senior Chief Wasambo during the debate held at Hangalawe in Chilumba, Karonga.

However, five of the six candidates contesting in Karonga South did not attend the debate except incumbent Parliamentarian, Glad Chembe Munthali of the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

This did not please the members who later felt the absentees were lacking commitment on maternal health issues affecting the citizens hence their failure to attend the debate.

“We wanted the community members to hear themselves their contesting candidate’s commitment towards improving maternal health issues affecting the people so that the electorates vote for a candidate who meet their demands, and it is unfortunate that some aspirants have failed to attend it for their own reasons,” complained FOCUS Executive Director, Cossam Munthali.