The Sunday News
Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
VICE-President Kembo Mohadi has implored the Ministry of Health and Child Care to recognise and capacitate traditional midwives to reduce maternal deaths and infant mortality.
Addressing midwives during the commemorations of the International Day of the Midwife at Gweru Provincial Hospital on Friday, VP Mohadi said it was incumbent upon Government to capacitate traditional midwives to deliver quality health services so as to reduce maternal deaths.
In a speech read of his behalf by Midlands Minister of State, Cde Owen Ncube, VP Mohadi said it was the Government’s obligation to ensure that every pregnant woman has access to quality health services.
“We are a multi-cultural society and some women for their own reasons and at times prohibitive distances from their homes to the health centre are comfortable to give birth under the traditional midwife. In this regard, it is incumbent upon the Ministry of Health and Child Care to continuously seek ways to help these traditional midwives deliver quality services. Our rich traditional foods should be capitalised on to improve health nutrition.
“As Government, we have the obligation to take the lead by ensuring that whether delivery is done at home or at hospital, it is safe. I thus urge the Ministry of Health and Child Care and you all to make sure that all women have a right to the appropriate care at the appropriate time, neither too soon or too late nor too little or too much,” he said.
VP Mohadi also implored midwives to diligently execute their mandate, adding that the lives of children and pregnant mothers depended on them.
He said the Government on the other hand has remained committed to improving health service delivery and the welfare of health practitioners.
VP Mohadi also took the opportunity to implore political parties to give women their space to exercise their right to vote in the forthcoming elections.
He warned political parties against perpetrating violence against women in the run up to the 30 July elections.
“As we approach the harmonised 2018 elections, which will be free, fair and credible, I call upon you all to give women their space to exercise their right to vote peacefully. No form of violence against women should be allowed by any of us whether as individuals or part of a collective,” he said.
Speaking at the same gathering, Health and Child Care Minister, Dr David Parirenyatwa commended First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa for spearheading the cervical cancer screening campaign which has yielded positive response from women.
Dr Parirenyatwa said cervical cancer was one of the diseases that the Government was determined to eradicate in the country.
He said the Government would consider making midwifery a separate profession from nursing.
