Posted on 22 October 2008
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 583
“Phnom Penh: While the number of midwives is still a priority concern to reduce maternal and child mortality, Dr. Mam Bunheng, the Minister of Health, has set it as a priority to increase the number of midwives, and to install electricity at all referral hospitals and health centers countrywide.
“During a meeting at the Intercontinental Hotel with the heads of the [provincial] Departments of Health from all over the country, and with partners in development late last week, the Minister of Health said that during this fourth term of government, the priority for health care is to deploy midwives to all health centers around the country. He added that to have midwives assigned at all health centers is fundamental, because if women, who come to give birth to their babies, are assisted by midwives who have been trained properly, this will contribute to reduce maternal and child mortality. Dr. Mam Bunheng went on to say that to deploy midwives cannot be done by just following some easy ideas, adding, ‘To deploy midwives requires to consider the strengthening of the health care infrastructure, especially the budgetary requirements, therefore I would like to request all development partners to help support this work.’
“Together with the general work for maternal and child health as a major problem, the Minister also encouraged to regularly conduct three pre-natal examinations for pregnant women, to build up sufficient human resources, to reviews procedures for the time before and after giving birth, to prepare the foundation to send pregnant women to health centers when it is time to give birth, to award a midwife Riel 60,000 [approx. US$15] after assisting a birth to a baby safely at a health center, and Riel 40,000 [approx. US$10] for midwives at referral hospitals.
“Mr. My Sambo, the director of the Department of Personnel of the Ministry of Health, said that at present, we have 3,113 midwives, but this number cannot meet the needs of the 900 health centers countrywide. Now, 70 health centers do not have a midwife. He continued to say that normally, one health center needs two midwives, where one is the primary midwife and the other is an assistant midwife. According to the director of the Department of Personnel, each year, Cambodia needs around 400 new midwives, that means that from 2009 to 2015 we need 2,489 [??] midwives.
“With the present maternal and child mortality rate, it is not possible for the Ministry to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals. Professor Kum Kanal, the director of the National Mother and Child Health Center, pointed out that the rate of maternal and child mortality has not declined, that is, 472 out of 100,000 infants being born die. However, the mortality rate of children under the age of one year declined from 95 to 66 among 1,000 children, while the mortality rate of children under the age of five declined from 124 to 83 among 1,000 children.
“Regarding the reasons for maternal mortality when giving birth, Mr. Kanal explained that the major reasons are loss of blood, other cause of diseases, postpartum fever, and giving birth assisted by traditional midwives without proper training, which still is the case in 50% of births given in the country – mostly in rural areas.
“Together with the goal to improve the health infrastructure, Dr. Mam Bunheng encouraged all health centers and referral hospitals to create access to electricity, and he encouraged the citizens to practice birth spacing, which also contributes to reduce maternal and child mortality.”
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4721, 21.10.2008
Note:
The UN Millennium Development Goals are eight goals to be achieved by 2015 that respond to the world’s main development challenges – three are concerned especially with the situation of women:
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower womenGoal 4: Reduce child mortalityGoal 5: Improve maternal health
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 583
“Phnom Penh: While the number of midwives is still a priority concern to reduce maternal and child mortality, Dr. Mam Bunheng, the Minister of Health, has set it as a priority to increase the number of midwives, and to install electricity at all referral hospitals and health centers countrywide.
“During a meeting at the Intercontinental Hotel with the heads of the [provincial] Departments of Health from all over the country, and with partners in development late last week, the Minister of Health said that during this fourth term of government, the priority for health care is to deploy midwives to all health centers around the country. He added that to have midwives assigned at all health centers is fundamental, because if women, who come to give birth to their babies, are assisted by midwives who have been trained properly, this will contribute to reduce maternal and child mortality. Dr. Mam Bunheng went on to say that to deploy midwives cannot be done by just following some easy ideas, adding, ‘To deploy midwives requires to consider the strengthening of the health care infrastructure, especially the budgetary requirements, therefore I would like to request all development partners to help support this work.’
“Together with the general work for maternal and child health as a major problem, the Minister also encouraged to regularly conduct three pre-natal examinations for pregnant women, to build up sufficient human resources, to reviews procedures for the time before and after giving birth, to prepare the foundation to send pregnant women to health centers when it is time to give birth, to award a midwife Riel 60,000 [approx. US$15] after assisting a birth to a baby safely at a health center, and Riel 40,000 [approx. US$10] for midwives at referral hospitals.
“Mr. My Sambo, the director of the Department of Personnel of the Ministry of Health, said that at present, we have 3,113 midwives, but this number cannot meet the needs of the 900 health centers countrywide. Now, 70 health centers do not have a midwife. He continued to say that normally, one health center needs two midwives, where one is the primary midwife and the other is an assistant midwife. According to the director of the Department of Personnel, each year, Cambodia needs around 400 new midwives, that means that from 2009 to 2015 we need 2,489 [??] midwives.
“With the present maternal and child mortality rate, it is not possible for the Ministry to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals. Professor Kum Kanal, the director of the National Mother and Child Health Center, pointed out that the rate of maternal and child mortality has not declined, that is, 472 out of 100,000 infants being born die. However, the mortality rate of children under the age of one year declined from 95 to 66 among 1,000 children, while the mortality rate of children under the age of five declined from 124 to 83 among 1,000 children.
“Regarding the reasons for maternal mortality when giving birth, Mr. Kanal explained that the major reasons are loss of blood, other cause of diseases, postpartum fever, and giving birth assisted by traditional midwives without proper training, which still is the case in 50% of births given in the country – mostly in rural areas.
“Together with the goal to improve the health infrastructure, Dr. Mam Bunheng encouraged all health centers and referral hospitals to create access to electricity, and he encouraged the citizens to practice birth spacing, which also contributes to reduce maternal and child mortality.”
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4721, 21.10.2008
Note:
The UN Millennium Development Goals are eight goals to be achieved by 2015 that respond to the world’s main development challenges – three are concerned especially with the situation of women:
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower womenGoal 4: Reduce child mortalityGoal 5: Improve maternal health
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
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