BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): Mahtab, 45, the resident of Zargaran village in Bamyan City, the capital of central Bamyan province, gave birth to her seven children at home and never taken to maternity hospital for labour.
She said as a result of restriction imposed by her in-laws and wrong traditions she was not taken to health centre during her pregnancies.
Mahtab now has five children — two sons and three daughters — one of her baby died before birth and another died after birth.
She told Pajhwok Afghan News that all her children had been born at home.
She is married from the past 24 years and said as a result of wrong traditions and restrictions imposed by her in-laws she was not allowed to visit a healthcare centre during pregnancy.
Interestingly, she live in an area where Provincial 20-bed Antani Hospital is two kilometres away and the Provincial General Hospital is seven kilometres away but still her in-laws believed that childbirth outside home did not have good consequences. The newly born baby could be affected by disease when born outside the house in a hospital, they believed.
Ali, the husband of Mahtab, completed his primary education from a local Mullah Imam and currently worked as daily wager in Bamyan City.
During chat with Pajhwok Afghan News he linked the loss of his two babies a heavenly decided matter and believed that child birth in the house under an unprofessional lady — also called Daee— was better. He said child birth is a natural activity and taking a pregnant woman to a hospital was against their culture and tradition.
He did not want to talk more on this issue.
This is not only Mahtab who experience labour at home, but Fatema, not a real name, is another lady from the Jigarkhel locality of Bamyan City who gave birth to two children at home.
She said from the past seven years she is married and currently she has one son and one daughter both had been born in the house.
She added that the health teams visited her house several times to give information about family planning issues, health care during pregnancy and safe delivery, but she gave birth to both her children at home.
She said strong opposition from her in-laws and feeling ashamed from people were reasons due to which she gave birth to her children at home.
Besides other problems, people steered at her during pregnancy and were annoyed from hearing insulting comments.
Fatima said her husband was also not interested to take to the hospital for delivery and undergo labour at the hospital.
Some women, however, complained due to the lack of professional doctors in the hospitals and transport facilities they preferred child birth at home.
Zahra, the resident of Shiberto locality in Bamyan City, said Lack of transportation facilities and experienced midwives in rural areas and low level of public awareness are other problems due to which many expectant women still give birth at home.
Doctors, however, termed child birth at home dangerous and said there was 10 percent more death chances of women who give birth to their children in a traditional manner at home.
Dr. Zahra Mohammadi, a specialist gynacolgist in Bamyan City, said Childbirth is a very difficult task for mothers and without facilities and health care, the health of mother and child is seriously threatened.
She said, labour at home could increase the risk of child death and possible harm to the mother.
Dr. Zahra said According to her, expectant women should always be under medical supervision because during childbirth at home, the mother and child may face serious problems and without medical equipment and professionals doctors it may lead to the death of the child or the mother.
Najiba, a midwife at one of the health center in Bamiyan, also said that pregnant women could have a safe delivery if they are under observation during pregnancy and give birth in a hospital.
According to her, when pregnant women visit the hospital besides compliance with common health measures their blood pressure and weight should be checked before giving birth, and they should be given birth in the presence of midwives and health facilities.
Najiba said the issue of implementing the five-fold vaccine for the child and mother and care after birth is also very important to save the life of the child and mother from danger.
She said when the family did not pay attention to the mentioned cases and stressed over undergoing labour at home in a traditional manner based on their wrong beliefs, the life of the child and the mother will be seriously threatened.
Meanwhile, Public Health Director Dr. Jafar Zaki said more facilities and personnel had been provided at the public hospitals and health centres in the province.
He said besides the Provincial Hospital, sufficient medciiens and midwives were available in the 76 health centres provide-wide to facilitate childbirth.
He said all health services were provided in a fair manner and there was not serious issue in the way of health services in Bamyan.
Dr. Jafar said individuals who have high awareness take pregnant ladies to the hospitals for childbirth while some individuals which is a small number preferred childbirth at home.
He asked people to take women to the hospital for childbirth in order to ensure safe labour and ignore wrong believes and traditions in this regard.
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