Good patient care essential to reduce neonatal deaths – Dr Shangula
By Adolf Kaure.
The Minister of Health and Social Service, Hon Dr Kalumbi Shangula said that good customer service is essential in reducing the number of neonatal deaths in Namibia.
Dr Shangula made these remarks during the opening of the national seminar on neonatal care held on Friday in Swakopmund.
“Let us ensure that we put in place the necessary measures and revise our Standard Operating Procedures, to strengthen service delivery.” “Similarly, it is critically important, to address the shortcomings related to work attitudes and ethical conduct among staff members.”
“I believe that efforts to improve care are more likely to be successful if our health care system is geared to support learning and continuous improvement,” he said.
The Ministry of Health and Social Service has institutionalized Maternal, Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Reviews as part of the strategy to prevent these deaths.
The review tasks are carried out by the national, regional and district health facility committees that have been established specifically monitor fatalities around pregnancy and birth. Annual reports are compiled and published regularly, serving as important monitoring and evaluation tools for improving quality and impact.
According to the 2022 Report into Maternal Deaths, Stillbirths and Neonatal Deaths for the period 01 April 2018 to 31 March 2021, which was commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Social Service, a total of 145 maternal deaths were reported to the ministry.
Dr Shangula also said that all health facilities in Namibia, including those in the private sector are obliged to report each and every maternal death, still birth and neonatal death whenever these have occured.
“The reporting of these statistics enables the Minister of Health and Social Service to collect valuable data on the neonatal and maternal deaths incidence and use this data to track the success of our interventions and also to inform the corrective actions that we need to take.”
The national seminar on neonatal care was attended by neonatal health care practitioners from across the country to provide solutions and best practice to the industry challenges.
A mother cradles her baby at the Swakopmund District Hospital, waiting her turn to be consulted by a nurse. (Photograph by Adolf Kaure)
