Myanmar Promises Half Million Dollars Saving Mothers Maternity Dead

"One woman out of 500 dies during child birth in Mynammar. This maternity rate is twice the Untied Nations acceptable rate."

One woman out of 500 dies during child birth in Myanmar.

This maternity rate is twice the Untied Nations acceptable rate.

In an attempt to reduce this the Myanmar government announced last week that it is recruiting an extra 3,000 nurses at a cost of half million US dollar. 

Ma Mya Thi sits down to a meal of steam rice and plain soup.

At the age of 42 she just gave birth to her eight child.

Due to the high cost of health care she gave birth to most of her children at home with the help of a local midwife.

“It was really painful. I have to suffer for two days at home but I finally I could not stand it so I asked to take me to hospital. My last baby dropped out on the way to hospital.”

70 per cent of people in Burma are live in the countryside and there is limited access to health workers and hospitals.

Ma Hay Mar Soe is a medical worker in a resettlement camp in Kachin State.

She is alone taking care of more than 2,000 refugees health.

“A pregnant women come to check up here if they are in good health I will deliver their baby at their shelter. If there is emergency case, I let them go to hospital.”

This year the government is promising to train 3,000 nurses to stop women dying during child birth.

It’s a joint project between the government and the Myanmar Red Cross.

Dr Maung Maung Hla is the director of Health department at Myanmar Red Cross.

“In rural area, people have little education, they don't know to act quickly when it comes to giving birth. They only rush to hospital in the critical stage. Plus, we have poor infrastructure so the patients can’t reach the hospital on time. So the patients die.”

Dr Maung is confident the project has good impact women health.

“This project is going to increase women health including decreasing number of women being killed during child birth. This is our goal.”

There will also need to be an education campaign because many women like Mya stay away from hospitals.

“I am afraid to give birth at hospital. I feel braver giving birth at home because I am close to my family.”

• Myanmar
• Burma
• nurses
• maternal
• Saw Zin Nyi