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Women who are pregnant are encouraged to undergo regular check-ups and seek medical attention immediately in case of severe abdominal pain
Uwajeneza Donatha
Feb 23, 2024 - 14:48
The management of KABUTARE hospitals says that mothers who have given birth should prioritize seeking medical attention in case of severe abdominal pain, undergo regular check-ups, and follow medical advice aimed at preventing maternal and infant mortality.
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Françoise is a mother living in the Simbi sector. She was advised to seek medical attention and follow medical advice, but because she had not previously experienced severe abdominal pain, she did not realize she had given birth to triplets.
In an interview with Rukundo Emmanuel, a journalist at Isango Star, a Rwandan weekly newspaper, she said: "They told me to go to the hospital immediately, but I told them, 'How could I know I was pregnant with one child and suddenly my stomach is this big?' and besides, I had no symptoms. It was only when it was the third one that I realized because nothing was changing."
Françoise also said that she and some of her friends are reluctant to seek medical attention because they fear the consequences of their actions.
Dr. Jean Baptiste NTIHUMBYA, who heads the Kabutare hospitals, says there are no restrictions, but everyone who has given birth should seek medical attention to help doctors understand the assistance they need to provide.
He said: "I say its sudden fear because the pain we use is well-studied, and experts have agreed that there is nothing to fear. You ask the pain to last for decades and you will see that no one will be able to say it has caused any problems; it's a pain that doesn't cause any permanent damage."
"We encourage everyone who has given birth to make sure they are included so that we know how the child is doing in the body."
He says that some are afraid to be treated because they are going to check for serious conditions. He said: "What we encourage parents to do is to have their children tested for serious conditions, because some are afraid to show it clearly that they are sick, their child is sick in the body. These are things that are very important because they make the lives of the child and the mother much easier."
"So going to the hospital helps to see how the child is doing in the body, and if we see it clearly, we can tell them to take care of it."
Dr. NTIHUMBYA also says that when a mother experiences severe abdominal pain, it shows the progress of the child in a way that allows the mother to be given the necessary help before it is too late.
He said: "Another thing we can know is whether the child has problems in the body, not in clear terms of how the child cannot be, it has symptoms that are not good, or you see how it is treated in the body can't make the child grow, making the doctor able to decide to help when the stomach doesn't stop moving so that the mother can't give birth."
To reduce the number of maternal and infant deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that a mother should be tested at least four times. In Rwanda, there is a provision that they should be tested at least once. However, it is important for those who have given birth to make efforts to seek medical attention and follow medical advice, as this policy is in place in Rwanda for good reason.
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