By Our Reporter
Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) Spirited Women employee group has donated a universal anesthesia machine to Mayuge Health Centre IV.
This donation is part of the corporate society of safe motherhood campaign, spearheaded by Stanbic Bank, which seeks to support and build awareness for maternal health, providing hospital equipment to select health facilities and donating mama kits for the welfare of mothers in underserved hospitals.
Speaking at the handover ceremony at the Ministry of Health offices, Juliana Kagwa, Uganda Breweries Limited Corporate Relations Director, thanked the medical doctors at the health center for their dedication towards providing quality antenatal care for all the expectant mothers that come to the facility.
She also applauded the midwives for their unwavering commitment to helping mothers in labor have a safe delivery. She called upon Ugandans to prioritize maternal health in all spheres of influence.
“As women at UBL, donating this maternal health equipment offers us an opportunity to support women in Uganda and make an impact in society, which also contributes to the broader UBL agenda on promoting inclusion and diversity under our Society 2030 sustainability strategy,” said Kagwa.
According to the Uganda Health and Demographic Survey, maternal mortality reduced from 418 per 100,000 live births deaths in 2006 to 336 per 100,000 in 2016. Even then, some 6,000 women and adolescent girls still die every year from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.
For every woman or girl who dies, an estimated 20 or 30 suffer injuries, infections, or life-long disabilities, including obstetric fistula. According to UNFPA, providing the recommended level of maternal health care would cut maternal deaths by approximately two-thirds.
The UBL Spirited Women network is an employee resource group within UBL established to engage, retain and develop female employees in the business, providing them with a platform to thrive and make an impact.
“We thank UBL for the generous donation we’ve received today. It brings us so much joy and confidence to take care of mothers experiencing labour at the facility. I believe that mothers are now more confident to come and deliver from this facility, unlike when some mothers opted to travel to Kampala, where such services were readily available. We are now more equipped to handle complicated cases for mothers who will be giving birth through C-section,” said Dr. Sedawula Mike, Senior Medical Officer, Mayuge Health Centre IV.
The universal anesthesia machine has been uniquely designed with a monitor, vaporizer & ventilator. It can work both manually and automatically with a 6-hour backup in case of any power outage. The machine also has a seamless transition to room air when compressed oxygen is unavailable.
