The AMECA Maternity Unit
These journeys present even greater challenges at night and during the rainy season, often resulting in tragic consequences for mother and child.”
Following a request from our communities for a maternity unit at Chilaweni, AMECA commissioned a Maternity Needs Assessment for the entire region, to identify gaps in service provision, in order to ascertain the level of need for maternity services. The study enabled AMECA to make an informed decision, backed up by thorough research, on the requirement and justification for a new maternity clinic at Chilaweni.
Findings indicated that 24% of the population consists of Women of Child Bearing Age, 18% of children being below the age of 5 years and 5% children being under 1 year.Women faced difficulties in accessing obstetric services due to the distance, terrain and high cost of travel to the nearest health facility. On average, a pregnant woman walks about 4 – 5 hours to reach care, often over uneven steep hills. These journeys present severe challenges when in early labour, at night and during the rainy season, often resulting in tragic consequences for mother and child.
Architects plans were drawn up and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Blantyre District Health Office. On the 9th September, 2019, construction began on the maternity unit and 2 staff duplex houses, which will provide accommodation for a further 4 staff members and their families. On the 9th October, a Foundation Stone ceremony was held at Chilaweni, to mark the commencement of the building project. Read about the ceremony at this link. One month after the start of the building, the foundations were completed.
Two new duplex houses were constructed, providing further accommodation for four staff members and their families. One of the houses was initially used to provide accommodation for midwife mentors who were contracted by AMECA for the Maternity Mentorship Programme.
More details of the construction of the maternity clinic can be viewed at this link.
Individual patient cubicles were fitted in the delivery room in keeping with AMECA’s vision to provide safe, respectful and women-centred maternity care. The cubicles provide an atmosphere of privacy and dignity, allowing mothers in labour to move around and also allowing sufficient space to have their patient guardian or partner by their side. The maternity clinic was equipped with solar panels, ensuring that there will always be power available for the oxygen concentrators and suction machines.