The plight of expectant mothers

We are once more taken aback by the conditions in which expectant mothers specifically at Engela State Hospital are subjected to. These mothers, who include Angolan nationals, are forced to camp in squalid conditions without proper antenatal care and good nutrition. This situation is not only unique to Engela. Many other towns, including Outapi, continue to record an influx of expectant mothers from different northern remote areas as well as southern Angola. Obviously the issue has been widely reported in the mainstream media and despite interventions here and there by the authorities, it remain a concern. At Engela, the women camp alongside a sewage-filled water pond, making them more susceptible to life-threatening diseases like Malaria. Just imagine someone sleeping next to sewage-filled pond for many days and nights. This is inhumane to begin with. The Ministry of Health and Social Services have now confirmed a possible malaria outbreak in Ohangwena region, with permanent secretary Andreas Mwoombola saying that clinics near the Angolan border have reported a high number of malaria cases in particular pregnant women who are waiting to deliver. It is good to hear that the ministry of health is at least trying to do something by the timely provision of anti-malaria medications in Ohangwena that are powerful and available at all the clinics. But more needs to be done to improve the plight of these hapless women. These women are poor and can simply not afford to stay in decent accommodation establishments, while waiting to deliver their babies. Finding shelter solutions for them should be a priority issue at this point in time. The situation at Engela and other places should no longer be allowed to continue like this. It is an embarrassment that 27 years after independence we are doing little to improve the living conditions for some of country's most vulnerable groups. Our people deserve decent shelters with basic amenities like running water and toilet facilities.