Isingiro woman 'breaks curse' of abandoned maternity ward

Life is finally being felt inside a maternity ward at Kakamba Health Centre II in Isingiro District, a year after it was opened to serve expectant mothers.

Medics at the facility located in Kakamba Town Council have been bouncing like they say of newborn babies, since Ms Justine Juungu, a 31-year-old mother of two, gave birth at the facility.

Ms Jungu gave birth Kakamba Health Centre II on January 19. Since then, 11 babies have been delivered here.

She is now the heroine of the town council and the inspiration of mothers.

The maternity had been shunned for a year by a populace that was pregnant with a myth that whoever gave birth in the new facility would lose their baby.

"It so happened that at the beginning of this year, we were blessed to have one mother who gave in and accepted to be the sacrifice for the facility full operate and serve the mothers," Laudes Aziirwe, a clinical officer at the health centre, said.

"She successfully delivered with the help of Moreen Ainembabazi, the midwife."

Ms Ainembabazi was the first midwife posted to the health centre whose maternity ward was not officially commissioned by district or government officials.

Apparently, the lack of commissioning was the reason the locals shunned the facility.

They believed that being a new maternity ward, the first mother to give birth from it would be a sacrifice (die or lose their baby).

"Women would come for antenatal but when it reached time for giving birth, they would abandon us and seek service elsewhere," Aziirwe said.

Ms Ainembabazi said she had been posted to Kakamba Health Centre II because the midwife before her had left due lack of delivering mothers to attend to.

"When the ward was constructed, women started ignoring it," she said.

"Many were no longer turning up for even antenatal services but Jungu boldly came and successfully gave birth and her baby is healthy and so is the mother," Ainembabazi told Nile Post.

Ms Jungu, from Kasuusano Village Kakamba Subcounty, said she was not afraid once she accepted to use the facility.

"I  know when you believe and trust in God nothing bad can happen to you," she told Nile Post.

"I prayed to God and He indeed answered my prayers and I successfully gave birth to a healthy baby. My baby is fine, breastfeeds well, is not disabled in anyway and is making four months soon."

To reward Ms Jungu for her bravery, locals mobilised and collected Shs180,000, which she shared her midwife Ainembabazi.