By: Decontee M. Karnga
The Zorgowee clinic in Gbehlay Geh District #2 Nimba County is helping to supplement the fight against maternal mortality and reduce pregnancy-related death and other complications among various towns and the country at large.
Over the years, women have been faced with the issues of accessing good health care and a maternal waiting home in rural areas; somewhere they can reside till they reach their final stage of delivery. With some efforts made by the government and international partners to establish the Zorgowee maternal waiting home, some towns and villages are still faced with maternal mortality, a situation that has been a barrier for a decade.
Therefore, the maternity waiting home is a developed building adjacent to the Zorgowee Health Center that accommodates high-risk women who live far and near the clinic.
The Zorgowee maternal waiting home is one of the many waiting homes that are faced with challenges for pregnant women in Liberia.
According to the Liberia Demographic and Health Survey 2019-2020, the maternal mortality including deaths of women during pregnancy and delivery within 42 days of delivery, excluding deaths that were due to accidents or violence, the maternal mortality ratio is 742 deaths per 100,000 live births, for the seven years before the survey.
However, the World Bank data for the 2020 maternal mortality ratio shows an improvement from 777 in 2000 to 652 in 2020, which seems to be higher than its regional average in Liberia.
These statistics show that Liberia still has much to do if it must meet Sustainable Development Goal Three (3) Good Health and Well-being, which talks about bringing the maternal mortality ratio down to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2030 and ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under five years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least 12 per 1,000 live births and under-five mortalities to at least 25 pre live birth.
Since the operation of the maternal waiting home at the Zorgowee clinic in 2015, pregnant women in nearby towns and villages have been able to access safe delivery and are taken good care of while they await their time to give birth. This has helped reduce the high rate of maternity deaths in the country.
Amelia Cooper, in her third pregnancy, shared excitement of being in a healthcare environment as she awaits her delivery time.” This is my fourth day here, and I am here to wait for my time to deliver. When we come here, the people (Midwives) can take good care of us.” Amelia narrated. She continues, I am happy to be here because of the time we never had the waiting home here. People used to give birth in the town or go to Sanniqueille, and sometimes, people would give birth on the road.
She, however, called on all pregnant women in the town and towns far away to make use of the Zorgowee MWH, including others waiting for homes across the county, to seek good medical attention for safe delivery and called the government to provide food and medicines for them (Pregnant women) at the MWH.
Suah Vankpabah, Chief Midwife at the Zorgowee clinic. Appreciate that women are making use of the maternal waiting home, Pregnant women living distance from the clinic come to the waiting home in their 8 and 9 because of the distance they cover every month for treatment. She added that vital signs, blood pressure, and other tests are preferred daily on these women to know their health status before delivery time. We observed them for 48 hours after they had given birth to make sure there were no complications on the child and the mother, the chief midwife explained.
The Zorgowee clinic runs a 24-hour service and caters to about 35 patients a day, including the maternal waiting home, which is now a safe environment for pregnant women away from their homes. The MWH has 24-hour electricity, beds, and mosquito nets in all the rooms for the comfort of the women. But apart from those things, the rest, including food and other social and dietary needs, are provided by their family.
Pregnant women received daily at the waiting home range from 15 to 25 years, and over 30 pregnant women who come to the waiting home receive successful deliveries monthly and have been getting good healthcare from the midwives Since the establishment of the home.
Meanwhile, despite the structure provided by the Government of Liberia, the clinic is faced with huge challenges when it comes to the distribution of drugs among patients, especially pregnant women who go to the clinic for their monthly checking. It is frustrating that patients will come here for treatment, and there are no drugs to give them.” The head nurse at the clinic, Lorina Johnson, narrated. She continues that, at times, cases that are meant to be treated at the clinic can be transferred to Ganta or Sanniquellie because the shortage of drugs has been an obstacle for the clinic in the town.
Madam Johnson added that it is embracing giving prescriptions to patients to buy their medications. But there is nothing we can do because the shortage of drugs is from the national level.” she said. Whenever the clinic puts in medications at the county level, we are told to wait because the issue of drug shortage is from the national level, especially maternal and malaria drugs.
Pregnant women at the Zorgowee maternal waiting home called on Government attention as they shared challenges they have at the waiting home, looking at the issues of Medications, Food, and a conducive sleeping environment.
25-year-old Mercy Mendee is expecting her first child and has been at the waiting home for four days. I am happy that we (Pregnant women) have this place where the doctors are taking care of us. Even though the people are helping us here. We still need something here.” Says Mercy, we are asking the Government to help us provide enough beds and medications.’’ She added that pregnant women at the waiting home put money and rice together before they food to eat for the day.
Grace Dahn traveled a distance from Zualay to Zorgowee, paying a transport fee of $LD 500 to undergo treatment at the Zorgowee Clinic. I have spent two days here waiting for my time to deliver. I used to come from Zualay every month for big belle treatment, and it was hard for me to get from my town to the clinic, which is $LD500, and pay the same money to go back. At times when I come here, the doctor will write the medicines on paper for me to go buy them.” Grace noted.
She appreciates the midwives for giving them a healthy environment away from home. Since I came here, the people have taken good care of us; they check every day to know if we get any sickness so they can treat us before our time reaches to go give birth.
On May 3, 2024- The United Nations (H6) joint mission and the Government of Liberia held a meeting highlighting the urgent need for action to combat the increase in maternal and newborn deaths in the county. It was revealed during the meeting that 1,100 women and 8,510 newborns die annually during childbirth in Liberia.
Dr. Anshn Banerjee, head of the H6 Mission Team, stresses the need to enhance access to healthcare services, improve health infrastructure, and enact a legal framework to address higher deaths maternal by 50 percent in four new-born deaths by 63 percent in five years and stillbirths by 50 percent in five years.
During a high-profile meeting, UN RC AI and UN Women Liberia Representative, Ms. Comfort Lamptey, noted the need to ensure that 80 million dollars are allocated to the health sector in the national budget as an investment to reduce the high rates of maternal mortality.
