CFTC CEO in Ntchisi Hospital sleepover challenge tonight

As countdown to this year’s Nation Publications Limited (NPL) Mother’s Fun Run starts, high profile women are once again committing themselves to help raise funds for the safe motherhood initiative which has a target to raise K150 million for Ntchisi District Hospital.

Tonight, Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) chief executive officer (CEO) Wezi Malonda becomes the first high profile woman to take a sleepover challenge at the hospital.

She is expected to interact with fellow women admitted to the facility’s maternity wing in order to appreciate challenges they go through as they seek health care before and after delivering their babies.

Statistics from the Ntchisi District Health Office (DHO), show that the hospital’s situation is worse compared to similar facilities within the Central Region as on average 162 babies and 10 mothers die every year due to delivery-related complications.

According to Mother’s Fun Run organising committee chairperson Albert Banda, the situation compelled NPL to identify the hospital as beneficiary for this year’s initiative.

Said Banda: “Information from the health office indicates that the district records 16 neonatal deaths per 1 000 live births in a month, further, every month at least one mother dies due to delivery complications. It takes all of us to counteract this disaster and play a role to address this sad situation.

“Again, the hospital’s water system is in shambles, with the Central Region Water Board unable to pump sufficient water to the hospital, resulting in several sanitation challenges. The hospital runs for days without proper cleaning, with staff forgoing washing hands before handling patients, their gowns taking up to two weeks without sterilisation at times.”

With many women of high caliber set to take up their turns in the sleepover challenge, Malonda had this to say about tonight’s challenge: “I saw the challenges that the hospital is going through especially pregnant women through the maternity ward, so I realized the need to step in. When I heard about the sleepover challenge, I thought of joining this worthy cause and appreciate the challenges. The sleepover is relevant as I have to go through the everyday experiences and validate them.

“For me this will challenge my perception on problems women are going through. Sometimes people think the only challenges women go through when giving birth are physical in nature. But seeing for myself will be an eye opener and it will as well draw attention to the plight of the health facility.

She added: “I am looking forward to it but also anxious as I don’t know what to expect. What is important is raising more awareness and I hope after the sleepover and the Mother’s Day Fun Run, my experience will continue to shed light on the challenges what women go through when giving birth especially when they are accessing health facilities that have inadequacies.”

While she has not mobilised other women to join her during the actual sleep over, she is hoping to raise more funds through contributions of people in support of her kind gesture.

“For now it’s just myself but I am counting on the financial support from friends and family. I have already approached some and I am encouraging people to support me financially. Whatever little they will contribute will be used to meet the needs on the wish list of the hospital. After the sleepover, I am hoping to mobilise more people to participate both financially and physically towards the fun run. It will be great for the hospital to get everything on its wish list.

“Other than sleeping over at the hospital, I will also contribute something,” she said.

When asked who she could nominate for the sleepover challenge, either to join her or on a different date, Malonda said: “That’s a tough one…I was not expecting. Well, I would nominate a fellow lawyer, Maureen Kachingwe and she is the Company Secretary for Illovo. She is a female lawyer whom I have always seen participating though not openly, in causes that support fellow women especially if they are disadvantaged. She has a special place in her heart for women though she is not aware of this, I am sure she will support this.”