World Patient Safety Day – Safe Maternal and Newborn Care
-increase public engagement in healthcare safety
-promote global actions that enhance patient safety
The overall effect reducing harm to patients.
This year’s theme throws the spotlight on addressing safety in Maternal and Newborn Care.
The statistics on the WHO site are staggering.
Every day around the globe:
- Estimates of 6700 newborn lives are lost.
- Nearly 5400 stillbirths occur with over 40% being attributed to complications during labor.
- As for our mothers? Approximately 810 deaths daily. Most of them preventable.
These saddening statistics make this year’s campaign very important. The great hope is that healthcare professionals have covered a lot of ground in preserving maternal health throughout pregnancy to delivery.
These include:
- Monitoring for gestational diabetes
- Monitoring for hypertensive disorders in high-risk women
- Developing a plan for emergency cesarean sections
- Conducting fetal monitoring exams through ultra-scans
- Having incubators on stand by
What is our call to action at Leleshwa Pharmacy?
- Continuing our professional development and skills to engage with our mother and junior customers.
- Engaging in supportive environments where we advise on referrals to a medical professional where symptoms require further investigation.
We encourage mothers to be proactive in ensuring your own health and that of baby is preserved. Visit a health center immediately you discover that you are expecting so you can be monitored throughout your pregnancy.
In addition, seek healthcare services as soon as you can any time you feel unwell. Your healthcare professionals are here to help you. Let’s all work together to improve on the grounds we have covered so far.
Act now to ensure safe and respectful childbirth
Pharmacists: Dr Victoria Kamau, Dr Esther Gitonga, Dr Moraa Kiangoi