Helping mothers birth with dignity

I have spoken before about the difference between 'haves' and the 'have nots' here in South Africa.  As in many countries, and particularly as in the developing nations, there is a stark difference in the lifestyles of the haves and the have nots.  Nowhere is this difference more apparent than in our health care system.  

I am going to be generalizing for the sake of illustration here, I know that between the haves and the have nots there exists a whole group of people who have a little, a medium amount, an 'almost lot' etc.  But for the purpose of this post, I am going to keep things simple.

Here in South Africa, we have two health care 'systems' - we have the public health care system that provides care for everyone (basic services for free) and the private health care system that provides health care for whose who can afford it.  While the doctors and specialists in both cases are excellent (among the best in the world), the difference in facilities and 'service' is enormous. If you have private health insurance (what we call 'medical aid' in South Africa which costs more per month than most people earn as a monthly salary) and you have a baby, your stay in a private hospital is like a stay in a five star hotel.  If you don't have medical insurance, your experience is far, FAR less glamorous.  

I don't want to put down the amazing work that the staff in these public health facilities do, so I am loath to describe how bad it sometimes can be, but the truth is that these doctors and nurses work under tremendous pressure, understaffed and under-resourced. The facilities are not like a hotel, AT ALL.  And I am really putting it very mildly indeed. I think some of the stories would put your hair on end. 

The lady who used to clean my house two days a week is pregnant.  Last week she went to the local public hospital because she was having pains.  She was 32 weeks pregnant and was contracting.  After waiting in queues the WHOLE day, they eventually examined her. 32 weeks, one cm dialated. They gave her a few paracetamol tablets and sent her home. She had to WALK home from the hospital.  In her condition. If that was a private hospital with a patient with private health insurance, she would have been admitted for observation and given some drugs. 

Last week I had to go to a public hospital for a meeting and as I walked past the rows of pregnant ladies waiting and waiting in the corridors, I realized how incredibly lucky I am to live in the world of the haves when it comes to having a baby.  The world where YOU choose your doctor, YOU choose your appointment times and where you get first class everything.

One person who lives in the world of the haves, but who tirelessly and selflessly works to help the have nots is my sister Melanie.  Melanie runs a charity that assists the mothers in the public hospitals have as dignified and special experience of birthing their baby as is possible. Before Melanie started the charity, some of these new mothers would have nothing other than newspaper to take their babies home in.

The charity, Bosom Buddies is holding a fund raising ball and she is looking for 'fairy godmothers' to sponsor a ticket to the ball for her volunteers and special helpers.  Please pop over to Melanie's blog to read about her amazing work and how you could be a 'fairy godmother' and help out.  Please click here for more info http://bosombuddies.typepad.com/ 

Thank you. 

Comments

[MomAgain@40]

Wow, you have an amazing sister! Thanks Melanie, for doing what you are doing!
It is scary how bad the difference between the two systems are, and the consequences are even too awful to think about...
Thanks for reminding us!

[Babalwa]

Funny how you would have this up today had a call earlier about a neighbour who went to a public hospital earlier this week and was sent home after being told her labor cramps were a false alarm. She birthed her baby in the bathroom at home an hour later!! You right when you say you are putting it mildly:-) It's beautiful what your sister is doing.

[Annalien]

Although there are dedicated and caring nurses and doctors in the public health care system, it sometimes seems to me that the bulk of especially the nurses are callous and uncaring. The stories I have heard about how patients are treated at public hospitals...! And just look at their behaviour during the recent public servant strike! I am very thankful that I can afford medical aid, but it makes my blood boil that people who can't afford it are treated so badly. I will see whether I can help Melanie.

[adi]

It is atrocious. A friend of mine that helped out at a public hospital mentioned the rows and rows of ladies giving birth at the same time and apparently the one nurse was walking past and slapped the one lady on her thigh and told her to stop screaming like that... We have a rather long road to walk still.

[Nissa]

I think what both you AND your sister do for people is amazing! I am a U.S. resident, and my husband and I make enough to just get by... I WISH I could do here just SOME of what you and/or your sister do to help women in Africa. I don't even know where to begin!!! The women in that you have helped and continue to help are so lucky to have you!!!

[Womens Health Questions]

You are so helpful. That is very nice of you.

[Alice]

Wow...very touching blog post, I think in this world, we need more people who have the hearts like you and your sister to make this world better.