A night in a maternity room

There are only 3 midwives to attend to more than 20 women in labour. Their shift starts at 5 pm and leaves them exhausted by the end the following day at midday. 5 women are waiting for their turn to undergo a Caesarian section. They are not the only ones. Three more are seated on the floor. A midwife says the operating theatre can only take two mothers because it has two beds. Tonight there are too many mothers for C-section. One of the women on the bench moans softly. „I have been in labour for too long. I should be taken into theatre immediately.“ Unfortunately, she is told her name is the sixth on the list. As the doctor on duty slowly walks through the corridor after examining a mother about to have a natural birth, a woman quickly walks towards him and whispers. She seems to name her fee, such that her sister, who is moaning on the floor and awaiting surgery, can get in, despite being the seventh on the list. However the doctor declines and says the queue to the theatre is based on first-come-first-serve basis, but most importantly, urgency.

Also he says that sometimes doctors and midwives accept money from pregnant mothers, to help them jump the queue to the theatre, only to find more urgent cases.

After delivering her baby boy the mother has been cleaned up and starts now phone calls to deliver the good news. While on her fourth call the doctor shouts out: „Those who have delivered and have been cleaned up, prepare to leave the beds for the others in labours and about to push.“

Excerpts from Journalist Vicky Wandawa, Saturday Vision/Uganda, October 2013