Labour ward refurbishment at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital
After several decades of heavy use, the physical condition of the toilets and showers in the Labour ward at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) – Malawi’s main teaching hospital where 11,000 mothers deliver each year had deteriorated to an unusable state with blocked toilets, broken showers and tiles, and leaking roofs. The sewage system was unable to cope which presented significant infection control risks, thereby compromising the care of mothers and their babies admitted to the labour ward. Just before Christmas, Ammalife worked with Chira Fund and the Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust to completely renovate the decrepit drains and plumbing on Labour Ward. New mothers and staff now have working toilets and running water – a simple but essential intervention to cut infection.
It doesn’t end there. We need to ensure that there is always soap and – importantly – toilet paper for new mothers to use. Just 9p will buy the toilet paper and soap a new mother needs during her hospital stay. This adds up to £1,000 a year for labour ward at QECH.
Ammalife’s #onaroll campaign may not be glamorous but it couldn’t be more important. Please help us guarantee the supply of toilet and soap for new mothers to ensure they retain their dignity at a very vulnerable time of their lives, please donate today! Or if you’d prefer to give a regular gift to this campaign, you can complete our special #onaroll Standing Order form
“Thanks so much for your assistance. The condition of toilets and bathrooms in our labour ward has really improved. We really appreciate” Edith Tewesa, Midwife on Labour ward QECH.
