Invest in women, children’s safety – Pohamba

FORMER first lady Penehupifo Pohamba has urged both the public and private sectors to invest in the well-being of women and children.

She made this call on Thursday during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Katima Mulilo maternal shelter of which she will be patron.

The Social Security Commission pledged N$30 million towards the construction of three maternal shelters at Outapi, Katima Mulilo and Rundu, each costing N$10 million.

The Katima Mulilo shelter is expected to be completed by August 2019 and will have the capacity to accommodate 80 mothers. The facility will have 10 waiting rooms, a kitchen, a dining room, laundry facilities and recreational facilities. Additionally, it will also be furnished with a state-of-the-art multi-purpose room to be used by mothers for education, crafts and various other activities.

“I would like to call upon the public and private sectors to invest in the maternity waiting homes and in the general welfare of women and children. In the same vein, I urge men to continue supporting women, especially during the critical time of pregnancy. It has become easier for pregnant mothers to get health education on immunisation for themselves and their babies. Mothers who test HIV positive are advised to take anti-retroviral drugs for treatment,” she added.

Pohamba further said the maternity homes are making a huge difference in the lives of pregnant mothers, however, the objectives for the establishment of these homes have partially been met, despite the challenges of the high cost of running them.

“Women used to travel long distances and also used to sleep under trees in the sun and rain near hospitals. With these homes, services are readily available to pregnant mothers. The programme for accelerating the reduction of maternal and child mortality advocates a holistic maternal and infant healthcare.

“An evaluation report was presented to all stakeholders on the programme for accelerating the maternal and child mortality this year in April and clearly spelt out the overall importance and the positive impact of maternity waiting homes on the women and newborn babies,” she said.

Pohamba further said this worthy initiative by the SSC is aligned to the Harambee Prosperity Plan objectives and is expected to significantly assist in the reduction of maternal and infant mortality rates in Namibia.

“The Katima Mulilo waiting shelter will provide quality ante-natal care, and subsequently assist in the reduction of life-threatening pregnancy-related complications such as anaemia, gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia, which can be identified and monitored during the last critical months of pregnancy,” she explained.

The minister of labour, Erkki Nghimtina, who also spoke at the event, noted that the shelter will not only serve members of the Social Security Commission but all expectant mothers.

“Today marks the official ground-breaking ceremony for a new Katima Mulilo maternal shelter and I consider this development a crucial part of the process of reforming the SSC and the restoration of public confidence, trust and image of the institution.

“We must strive by all means to have an inclusive approach to mother-child protection and to social protection in general. We also need to consider how we can ensure that all children have the support they need so that they can thrive and grow up to their full potential and contribute productively to developing our beloved Namibia,” he said.

Zambezi governor Lawrence Sampofu urged the construction company that won the contract to do a good job and not waste money.

“I call upon Tunga Construction Company who have been awarded the tender not to do shoddy work but to ensure that the money spent on this project is not wasted,” he advised.