Home deliveries start falling after inauguration of health center

“This is my first child born in a health center out of the three children I already have,” said Joana, 30, with her newborn baby in her arms preparing to breast-feed him.

Joana was the first pregnant woman, the new health center in Coca Missava, southern Gaza province assisted, a day after the official inauguration or hand over ceremony from World Vision to the community and local government authorities.

Now, the health center is located half a mile from Joana’s house and a mile from the main road that links the entire community of Coca Missava and other regions of Chibuto district where the Hong Kong funded Malehice project is operating.

Joana is one of the 20 000 inhabitants from Coca Missava and surrounding areas that will benefit straight from the new health center which will among other things treat diseases such as malaria, cholera.

“I was born and I always lived here. I live with my husband and 3 children, the first 2, were born at home, the older is 12 and the second is 4” said Joana playing with her baby little finger.

“All my life when we were sick we walked at least 9 miles to the next health center. I remember once, that was very painful, my son was sick, I had to carry him on my back walk all the way to Malehice main village, I mean walk, because there is no transport here, that’s another challenge we have” explained Joana.

Malehice is the main village where most of the basic services, are concreted among them a health center.

“My first two children could not born at a health center, because I had pains, there was no way I could walk all that distance, but today thanks to World Vision I had a safe delivery at the health center” Joana ended her statement with a smile in her face.

“I think its blessing for my son to be the first baby to born there, that was around 12:17, I was well attended and the conditions of the health center are everything we always dreamed about” Joana described the assistance and conditions of the health center.

In fact the district health director, Moises Malo, during early supervisions had mentioned that the infrastructures, including the equipment from the health center were of high quality compared to that installed in the provincial hospitals.

The health center has tree beds to admit patients, a maternity equipped with comfortable beds for pregnant women to deliver safely and to facilitate the work of the nurse or doctor, fridges to store medicines, vaccines among other things.

“Me and my family and I believe that the entire village as well, is pleased and thankful to the work World Vision is doing here in water, education for our children an now with the health center, and our appeal is for this work to continue as well as to teach us the best hygiene practices a work they have been doing” Joana said.