Group photo of participants, facilitators and Consultant
By Kadrie Koroma
On Monday June 25, 2018 nurses and midwives from Kambia, Port Loko, Lunsar, Makeni, Koinadugu and Kono have commenced five-day training on “Making Pregnancy Safer” at the Women of Hope Hall in Makeni, northern Sierra Leone.
The training was organized by the Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Nurses Association (SLNA).
Declaring the training opened, the District Health Sister 1, Bombali District Health Management Team, Josephine Jenner Saidu said to make pregnancy safer, they need good outcomes and nurses and midwives bear the greatest responsibility because they form 75% of the workforce in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
She informed her audience that they need to think about their current situation and in doing so they have to get things right and people should recognize their good work. She said nurses and midwives should reflect on their situation where they are, what they have done wrong, and what they can do to better Sierra Leone.
Sister Saidu appealed to nurses and midwives to make use of opportunities that are available to them and implored the present government to continue to build on the foundation that was laid by the previous government in terms of the Free Health Care and care for the caregivers.
The Education Consultant, Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation, Minnesha Yasmine said her coming is to impact knowledge by giving them updates on the current trends of care provision so that they can work as a team.
She said they should also look at the motivating factors in their facilities so that they can work together to make pregnancy safer.
The President of the Sierra Leone Nurses Association (SLNA), Senesie Margao said the Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation support to Sierra Leone started during the days of late Mrs. Osborne, who made meaningful contributions to the profession.
He told nurses and midwives that the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer is also a member and has played a great role in the federation, adding that the association is doing all it could to maintain its membership.
Mr. Senesie Margao informed participants that the work of the association cannot be divulged from the office of the Directorate of Nursing as they work together to make things work and have people who are vocal to say it out for people to hear them and strategize.
He said policies have been introduced, but when it comes to implementation, there are challenges and need to rethink, and was quick to say despite people are crying them, but they have sacrificed their time and families to serve other people, and the public should recognize them.
The Head of School, Makeni School of Midwifery (SOMM) Francess Fornah described the training as very important as it will provide updates on maternal health and make pregnancy safer.
She said all skilled birth attendants are lead professionals that tell how important their contributions are to save the lives of their mothers, and they must work as a team to prevent or stop the unacceptable deaths of causes that can be prevented.
The training ends on Friday June 29, 2018, and similar training will be held in Bo from the 2 – 6 July 2018.