Good morning Neil,
I have travelled to a number of countries and visited many hospitals. Sadly, I have to confirm what is being written in this report. I have witnessed a grandmother beating her daughter with a stick, because she didn't think that her daughter was delivering quickly enough. The midwife was doing nothing to stop it. When we asked the labouring mother's sister about the stick, she said it was the one she beats her 7yr old son with. We also asked the midwife about the behaviour. She just shrugged her shoulders. Despite the respectful advice from our midwife, the local midwife and her colleague ignored it and when the baby was delivered, she was apnoeic. We tried to resuscitate her, but eventually had to stop. Another beautiful, full term baby, who shouldn't have died.
The problem as I see it, is that the midwives do not feel valued, often getting little or no pay. There don't appear to be any consequences, including investigations into their actions. I met with the Midwives Association in that country to report what had happened. If staff don't feel valued, this will be reflected in the standard of care delivered to their patients. This is true in any health speciality, anywhere in the world. It is hard for new staff to challenge inappropriate behaviour, so the culture continues. When we travel to our partner countries, or deliver zoom training during Covid, we always discuss respectful care, but from the many years of supporting a number of countries in their attempts to reduce maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity, culture is the hardest element to try to change.
Best wishes, Angela
The two most important days in a person's life are the day they are born and the day they realise why. (Dr Matt Morgan.)
Angela Gorman MBECEO Life for African Mothers,65, Penarth Rd,
Cardiff CF10 5DLReg Charity 1140183 Tel: 02920343774Mob: 07984786103www.lifeforafricanmothers.org
HIFA profile: Angela Gorman is a retired Senior NICU Nurse and is Chair of Life for African Mothers (formerly Hope for Grace Kodindo), a charity based in the UK. Life for African Mothers provides life-saving drugs such as magnesium sulphate and misoprostol to help reduce maternal deaths in developing countries. angelagorman AT aol.com
