On Wednesday, April 7, Dr, Jemimah Kariuki, a Resident in Obstetrics and Gynaecology based in Nairobi, tweeted that she would aid pregnant women in times of emergency, after she was informed of a scenario where an expectant mother perished, leaving behind an infant, a story that touched her.
“Any lady during this curfew and Covid-19 crisis who feels they are unable to reach the hospital and they are in labour or have an emergency kindly reach out and I will do my best to intervene,” Kariuki stated as she further detailed to kenyagist.com her plan which she hopes will rope in different stakeholders in the country.
Dr Jemimah Kariuki, a medical doctor based in Nairobi in a photo tweeted on June 9, 2017
The health worker who is listed as an essential service provider disclosed that there was an increased rate of pregnant related issues such as haemorrhage and infections after women have been in labour for long, stating that she was out to offer any help, ranging from advice and guidance to connecting the patients to emergency service providers.
“First of all, even before we discuss how they can be assisted, these patients are embroiled in fear and anxiety. Remember birth pains can go up to 13 hours and anxiety and expectancy do not go hand in hand.
“I’m still in the process of reaching out to stakeholders with help from my senior consultants and the Gynae community as a whole. We are looking at how we can ensure that the women are guided. We have cabs that are operating at night and we have seen how telecommunication companies have come together to save Kenyans in this crisis. All of us need to sit down and see how we can respond, by linking them to emergency service providers such as AMREF” Kariuki stated.
According to the medical practitioner, more efforts would be realised if the police service is also incorporated in the plan as they would be notified of special cases, or they themselves would assess a scenario and judge carefully, hence saving lives.
“Women should also be aware of danger signs such as the baby not moving or water breaking and should avail themselves at a facility. They should be prepared by having their bathing kits ready, their NHIF, ID cards available and should pack baby clothes to be shown to police officers,” Kariuki detailed.
She argued that much emphasis was being placed on the subject despite the fact that there was the existence of midwives. She based her argument on the fact that at such moments, plans often go out the window and a mother may need extra care or administration.
“We understand that the traditional midwives can help, but what if there is a need for a c-section or induced labour? We need to circumvent the issue. It’s not only for pregnant women, but we also have special cases like diabetes and many more. They need help.
“Kenyans should be aware that ambulances are on standby. One should also have contacts of nearby hospitals, and the Red Cross Organisation, or county health departments. Maternal mortality is a grave issue. If we can manage to apply this in Nairobi County, then we can duplicate it everywhere else,” Kariuki hoped.
“Dr. Kariuki may God bless you,” KTN News anchor Ali Manzu led the plaudits.
A report by People Daily on Thursday, April 9, detailed that as the Covid-19 cases escalate, maternal health in some counties is already experiencing a blow with fewer mothers attending antenatal clinics and hospital deliveries dipped too. Possible causes of this were mentioned to be fear of police brutality and of contracting Covid-19.
Police assault a Kenyan on March 27, 2020, as the nationwide curfew commenced
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