NO BIRTHS RECORDED IN KORO THIS YEAR. MUMS TAKEN TO CWM HOSPITAL

There were no births recorded on the island of Koro in 2017, a local health official has revealed.

Acting Divisional Medical Officer Eastern Dr Josaia Tiko said this was a result of Government’s safe motherhood initiative where all expecting mothers were referred to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva for delivery. Dr Tiko said Koro had been doing well in the last couple of years and they had not recorded any child or maternal deaths.

“In view of safe motherhood and due to the government’s move towards reducing infant mortality and maternal deaths one of the initiative that government has taken up is to have quality care for all mothers,” Dr Tiko said. “We do not encourage deliveries on site, but we are equipping Koro Health Centre to be on standby should an emergency delivery happen like if they are late for the boat to go to Suva.”

He said another problem faced was the attitude problem shown by some mothers who chose to stay on the island until their due date.

“We encourage all mothers to be delivered at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, which has been the practice ever since we started the safe motherhood initiative,” he said.

“From 2011 and 2012, before that there used to be a lot of fatalities and maternal deaths because when an emergency happens during the course of delivery we do not have the facility to save the mother or the child.”

He said they had advised mothers to have their clinics at the health centre until six or seven months into their pregnancy, then they were transferred to Suva for delivery.

“If that does not happen and some have premature deliveries, some experience issues during deliveries then the emergency delivery room will look after them,” Dr Tiko said.

>Fonua Talei