10,899 babies born at QECH in 2014

Statistics from Gogo Chatinkha maternity wing at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) show that 10, 899 babies were born in 2014.

Obstetrician and Gynaecology lecturer at the College of Medicine, Alisa Kachikis, gave the statistics during the opening of the Gogo Chatinkha Family Education Centre.

She said in the same year, total admissions were at 34,247 while gynae admissions were, 4, 917.

“Antenatal admissions were 3,341, total Labour ward admissions were 12, 934, while total cesarean sections were at 3,341,” she said.

On the opening of the centre, Kachikis said she decided to come up with the idea in order to provide essential health education to various stakeholders.

She said the centre would provide health education information to HIV positive expectant mothers and their families and engage men in HIV education and prevention counseling.

“The centre will also be used for continuing medical education for health professionals involved in maternity care,” she said.

The centre was funded by the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) and is a collaboration between US Peace Corps’ Global Health Services Partnership (GHSP) and the University of Malawi, College of Medicine and QECH.

GHSP Program Manager, Towela Nyika, said the role they played in the project was to help process the funding.

“When Alisa sold the idea to us, we were impressed and decided to help to apply for a grant from Pepfar. I provided feedback to strengthen the application till the grant was approved. She received US$10, 000,” she said.

The Unit Matron for QECH, Paulina Mwasigala, said they were excited with the opening of the centre.

Mwasigala said, among others, student nurses and patients would benefit from the centre.

She, however, indicated that the hospital was facing a lot of challenges such as shortage of staff.

“We attend to so many patients on daily basis because this is a referral hospital, but the challenge is shortage of staff,” she said.