Chipangali Town Council Chairperson, Maxson Nkhoma has called on expecting mothers in the district to give birth at health facilities to avoid unnecessary complications that could lead to maternal deaths.

Speaking when he visited Muzeyi and Mwita health posts to deliver baby hampers to babies born on Christmas day, Mr Nkhoma commended the mothers for delivering at a health facility and has asked them to encourage other expecting mothers in their areas to do the same.

He said the gesture of giving gifts to the babies born on Christmas was one way of encouraging mothers to deliver from health facilities.

Mr Nakoma said being a rural area, there are many traditional norms and values that made people not to believe that delivering from a health facility was the safest way, a situation he says needed to change.

He further mentioned that the Local Authority has embarked on a robust programme to ensure that most of the health facilities have maternity annexes.

“This is to appreciate our mothers, to encourage our mothers and assure them that they will find an environment that is friendly and confidential once they go to a health facility,” Mr Nkhoma said.

He said a number of maternity annexes were being built in the district to ensure that all expectant mothers have access to maternal health care.

Mr Nkhoma further disclosed that a number of health facilities will be completed with maternity annexes by next year and should be handed over to the communities in June next year.

“Our resolve to support the department of health remains unquestionable and top on our agenda in ensuring that we lead as a district where provision of health services should be a number one priority for us,” he said.

And District Nursing Officer, Edwin Tembo, disclosed that Chipangali had so far recorded 4 new Christmas babies which included 2 boys at Muzeyi health post in Sisinje Ward and 2 girls at Mwita health post in Chipangali Ward.

Mr Tembo has thanked the Council for providing Christmas gifts.

“When a mother delivers from a health facility, complications that lead to maternal and perinatal deaths are reduced,” Mr Tembo said.

Mr Tembo has also thanked the Local Authority for the ongoing construction of the maternity annex at Mshawa under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

He said it was encouraging to mothers to see a maternity annex being built which will provide a conducive environment for deliveries.

And one of the mothers, Rosemary Phiri, from Chekatani Village whose child received a Christmas gift thanked the local authority for the gesture.

She said the gift was a major encouragement for mothers to deliver from health facilities.