| By Aggrey Mugisha,
:: 27-09-2011
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The death of Cecilia Nambozo, that primary school teacher who bled to death in Mbale Referral Hospital, left a lump in one’s throat. From media reports, Nambozo came to the hospital at the right time, had attended antenatal clinics there but lacked the money for the caesarian operation.
These unnecessary deaths are the product of a healthcare system that is overstretched and grossly underfunded. Government needs to increase the health budget from 9% of the entire budget to the recommended 15%. Uganda may not achieve MDG5 which aims to reduce maternal deaths. Granted, the healthcare workers at the hospital should have responded faster. Locking up the healthcare workers who are accused of negligence was right but the solution is a bigger one.
UCU’s Save the Mothers Programme meets a big need of raising leaders who will respond to this huge need of keeping Uganda’s mothers alive. Some $130m was recently borrowed with Parliament’s approval for the Ministry of Health. Part of that money is to improve maternal healthcare in Uganda. Apparently its effects came too late to save Nambozo and her unborn baby.
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Uganda Christian University's community newspaper
:: Uganda Christian University 2008