Paramount chief concerned with nurses attitude
Paramount Chief Gomani V has questioned the attitude of some health workers towards patients and pregnant women, saying there is need to urgently address the issue to so that they can deliver better services to the people.
Speaking in Balaka during an extraordinary full council meeting where the Results Based Financing For Maternal and Neo-natal Health (RBF4MNH) task force briefed him and the district executive committee (Dec) on achievements and challenges of the initiative.
Paramount Gomani V, who is for RBF4MNH chairperson, s a id the programme should change health workers’ attitude towards pregnant women to attract more women to patronise health facilities other than traditional village clinics manned by birth attendants.
“Pregnant women should be handled with utmost care and in an environment that is manned by friendly health workers with the right attitude so that they don’t shun delivering at health facilities,” he said.
Paramount Gomani V called upon all stakeholders to step up mobilisation and awareness of RBF4MNH so that more women should be recruited into the programme.
Balaka District Assembly chairperson, Patrick Botomani, said there was need for more community awareness to clear the misconceptions people have on RBF4MNH.
“Some people refuse to be recruited into the programme because they miss the whole concept of paying for results thinking the money is for questionable motives,” he said.
Botomani said Balaka has been doing well on RBF4MNH as results have been speaking for themselves.
Balaka District Hospital Health Officer (DHO), Bertha Chikusa, said RBF4MNH has contributed to the reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality from 26 in 2011 to 5 in 2014.
The initiative has also resulted in the increase in skilled deliveries from 6,267 in 2013 to 7,091 in 2014
RBF4MNH is a programme designed to help poor people in poor countries to live healthier lives by linking predetermined results to incentives.
The initiative is funded by German and Royal Norwegian governments to the tune of USD10 million in Phase I and Euro 10 millions in Phase 2.
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