Sierra Leone: Matron in charge of the Bo Government Hospital, Augustine Fomba on Tuesday 13th April 2021 disclosed that only 10% of babies accommodated in the Noenatal Unit lose their lives.
Matron Fomba attributed what he referred to as decrease in child mortality at the establishment of a Special Baby Care Unit at the Bo Government Hospital by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation with support from the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
The facility offers free neonatal care to babies born of illnesses such as asphyxia, prematurity, among others. It has a Special Baby Care Unit which houses babies that are sick immediately they are born, as well as the Kangaru Unit which is where babies are transferred to have contact with their mothers after they would have gotten better.
According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), infants and children under five deaths are amongst the highest globally at 33, 83, and 114 deaths per 1,000 live births respectively, noting that the staggering figures represents the real and pervasive challenges women and children face in Sierra Leone with poor healthcare practices and sub-standard and ill-equipped health care facilities, hence the establishment of the Special Baby Care Units across the country.
Fomba said the Unit accommodates just over a thousand babies annually, adding that only 10% of these babies die. He said the causes of death for these children are mostly as a result of prematurity, asphyxia, among others.
Fomba said, the Neonatal Unit is one that is always busy, and as such needs electricity at all times, noting that the babies are always on oxygen for survival. He added that the hospital is the only referral hospital for a population of over 660,000 people in Bo.
He disclosed that the Unit will not function effectively without electricity, but disclosed with dismay that EDSA only provide 12 hours electricity, adding that the management provides electricity for the remaining 12 hours.
He continued that the Neonatal Unit only had one hired foreign doctor whom he predicted may be recalled at any point in time. He therefore implored the authorities to make amends where necessary and provide more doctors for the unit.
He furthered that 40% of the nurses in the hospital are not on payroll, for they haven’t got pin codes. He further spoke highly of the lack of some other equipments as well as lack of technicians to maintenance the ones the hospital already had.
Despite the fact that she is not on payroll, Aminata K. Kamara said her responsibility is to look after babies with critical condition after a doctor would have offered treatment. She added that she is responsible to change their (sick children) clothes after they would have messed it up. “Even though I am yet to receive salary, I feel that these babies deserve care,” she said.
Nurse in-charge of the Bo Government Hospital, Juliana E.M. Conteh disclosed that before the establishment of the unit, child mortality was around 40%, as they were having more babies dying when compared to present. Conteh was not helpful with the number of children that are dying previously and now, but maintained that there has been a considerable decrease.
She said, before the establishment of the unit, it was difficult for the hospital to address these cases since it has not got the extra space to address neonatal cases, as well as no equipment. However, Conteh said she remained thankful to the Government of Sierra Leone and UNICEF who funded the refurbishment of the building as well as providing the equipment needed.
Nurse Conteh said, the Special Baby Care Unit deals with babies who become sick after birth and the Kangaru Unit deals with small babies who are born before their time (premature).
Memunatu Povandi is the mother of a three weeks old baby. She revealed to Awoko Newspaper that her baby was critically ill immediately after delivery, but quickly recovered after she was being treated in the Special Baby Care Unit.
Michaella Bundor, had similar experience to Povandi. She said her daughter had an unusual color on her face which made her to become extremely worried, and had to run to the Unit where her son received medication and is now perfectly well, and is about to leave the hospital when she spoke to Awoko Newsspaper.
The unit has 19 baby cuts where premature babies received oxygen and as such needs electricity to keep them alive, but unfortunately, electricity remains a very key challenge.
SKS/14/04/2021