Health activists under their body  Health Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) have petitioned parliament seeking for its intervention in improving health care in order  to save the many mothers who perish in the process of delivery.

This happened yesterday during the commemoration of the international maternal health day under a theme: “Rights Based Approach to Maternal Health in Uganda.”

During the dialogue, preventable maternal issues such as bleeding, infections obstructed labor, unsafe abortion and hypertensive diseases as key at claiming the mothers’ lives at the time of giving birth were discussed.

The activists also used the opportunity to remind government to prioritize the  budget allocation of the health ministry, avoid wasteful expenditures and avail maternal health commodities and services in hospitals.

The civil society used the same opportunity to petition parliament to demand for accountability from government on how far they have gone to institute measures to address the maternal mortality in Uganda as passed in a resolution passed in parliament in 2011.

Prof. Ben Twinomugisha, the chairman board of Directors at center for Health Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) urges.

MPs including Monica Amoding of Kumi district, Aagon Silas of Kumi municipality, Herbert Kinobere among others noted the laxity in supervision of government hospitals, the hiked costs of delivery, motivation of midwives among others which all  leaves a gap in service delivery hence risking the lives of mothers.

In a related development the District Health Officer at  Kyankwanzi District, Dr. Serebe John Bosco attributes the poor health services to the pregnant mothers to the attitude by the health workers, midwives in particular.

Serebe noted that though challenges that limit good service delivery to the mothers exist, mid wives too need to check the care they give these expectant mothers.

He said that although most of the midwives have skills, they have continued to act desperately when attending to mothers hence in the process, some lose their lives.

In her response, Mary Adong, a mid-wife at Mulago Hospital-Kawempe branch decried the workload midwives face which,in most cases, leads to their loss of composure in front of patients.  She thus called upon government to recruit reasonable number of mid wives to help in the noble cause of saving lives of mothers.