Concern as women turn to traditional birth attendants, avoid going to hospital

Health experts in Migori County have raised concerns over expectant women turning to traditional birth attendants instead of going to hospitals for treatment.

The experts highlighted that most expectant mothers were not willing to go to the hospital early so that they could be registered for ANC services for monitoring.

Reproductive Health Coordinator for Migori County Joseph Okidi observed that traditional birth attendants only released expectant mothers to go to the hospital when complications occurred.

“That is why we have lost a number of mothers,” said Mr. Okidi.

Migori has lost 28 mothers from January to date.

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Okidi highlighted that the transition period from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Authority (SHA) was a contributor, saying that those who were not enrolled in SHA feared that when they went to the hospital, they would be charged.

He said once they are users, expectant mothers would still get free services in low health facilities even if they have not paid the premium.

"But mothers don’t want to cling to this information. They still believe that if they come, they will be charged for the service," Okidi highlighted.

Alex Otto, who is a Gynaecologist, highlighted those mothers went to traditional birth attendants and later visited hospitals very late when complications arose, as one of the biggest challenges they faced.

“Migori County is a county with a very high mortality rate,” Dr Otto highlighted. Real Amae, a nurse at Migori County Referral Hospital, said that since SHA came, mothers feared thinking it could not help them.

“Some mothers have been giving birth at home after Linda Mama was removed,” said Ms. Amae.

She highlighted the importance of expectant women having SHA, saying that they needed to get the benefits of the medical cover.

The nurse stressed the need of expectant women to give birth at the hospital and take antenatal care as a priority by going to all antenatal clinics.

“We are also sensitizing them on the danger signs and that they need to go to the hospital if they see any. There has been a problem. With the sensitisation we have been doing, we are hopeful that many expectant mothers will make an effort to register with SHA,” she said.

According to the health experts, most deaths occur due to home births in case of postpartum haemorrhages, which leads to a loss of more blood during birth.

To help address this, Migori County health department has developed a birth companion inclusion criterion, a document that would help it map the traditional birth attendants and link them to its Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in the community.

"Once we start affecting this one effectively, we will be able to track all the traditional birth attendants," highlighted Okidi.

He said this system would enable them to identify those traditional birth attendants who try to deliver babies within their communities for action.

Other than that, the department is also working closely with community health providers who are moving and mapping all pregnant women within their communities.