 |
| Photo: Newtimes |
Rwanda has reduced both under-five
mortality and maternal mortality by approximately three-quarters. This
achievement has been attributed to improved maternal health care over the
years. But despite this milestone, some women still prefer to travel out of the
country to give birth.
Melisa Agasaro (not real name) delivered
her first baby at a hospital in Australia and her second born in the US.
Agasaro had a reason for choosing to travel far to give birth. She was
diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening health condition, gestational
diabetes, that couldn’t easily be dealt with in the country.
“I travelled to the US to have my second
born in 2013, my pregnancy was a little bit complicated and the doctors here
couldn’t trace the issue. When I went to the US, I was diagnosed with
gestational diabetes, they also checked other complications but the condition
was at a dangerous stage, so I was put on medication immediately,” the
mother-of-two narrates.
She says she got outstanding care while in
America.
Agasaro is just one of the many women who
decide to have their babies abroad for various reasons. Some expecting women
travel to give birth abroad as a matter of choice while others have no option
since their condition cannot be managed locally.
For Lillian Mugabo, some women actually go
abroad to give birth because of the way some local hospitals treat expectant
mothers.
Referring to her experience, the mother of
two supports women who choose to go abroad because she wouldn’t wish for any
other woman to experience what she went through.
Mugabo had her second child two months ago,
but the pain she experienced made her doubt the nurses who attended to her, and
she wondered if they were skilled enough.
Vestine Uwamahoro echoes similar
sentiments. She says that the process of giving birth is agonising enough and
that a woman in labour deserves the best care from anywhere she believes she
can get it.
“I wouldn’t say our system is bad, but I
think those who go to other countries in most cases are seeking special care
from more qualified doctors,” she says.
News credit : The NewTimes
No comments
Post a Comment