High alert over virus spread in congested maternity wards
Patients share a bed at a local health facility.
As the government struggles to implement public health measures to reduce Covid-19 infections, at Busia County Referral Hospital maternity wing, three women have to share a bed.
The Senate Health Committee probing Busia County on the state of the hospital yesterday heard that women are forced to buy cotton wool and other personal items that would ordinarily be provided by the hospital.
This has raised concerns of possible Covid-19 spread.
The World Health Organisation states that pregnant women are at higher risk of severe Covid-19, and the coronavirus has been associated an increased risk of preterm births.
Senator Petronila Were Lokorio who brought up the matter, said the hospital lacked essential medicines and equipment to save the lives of mothers.
Services
Governor Sospeter Ojaamong said 40 per cent of the patients seeking services come from Uganda.
He admitted that the maternity wing has 37 beds but they admit three times the number.
“We are seeing more patients from Uganda and yet we do not budget for them, don’t you think that is stretching the hospital and at the same time, we cannot chase away patients,” he said.
Mr Ojaamong said the current hospital was constructed when the population was still low, the maternity has a capacity of 37 beds, and however, the number of patients has tripled over the years making us admit three times the expected number of patients.
Speaking at the same forum, County Medical Services director Dr Janerose Ambuchi said with the triple admission, it is impossible for a patient to sleep on his or her own bed.
“We currently deliver 25 mothers daily with a two days stay for those who have given birth normally and five days for the caesarean section cases, with the 37 beds we are forced by circumstances to over admit hence patients sharing beds,” Dr Ambuchi said.
He said that being a government facility, the hospital is not supposed to deny any patient admission, however, measures are in place to address the matter.
