Childbirth in Darfur
...is a disturbing proposition under the best of circumstances but, under certain conditions, can be downright horrific.
The most fortunate women in South Darfur have the privilege of giving birth at the Nyala Teaching Hospital. Very few of these, however, can afford to pay for medical care. Those who can afford to pay for treatment have the opportunity to give birth in the best wing of the Nyala Hospital, which is basic but sterile and spacious. The remainder of the hospital, which offers universal health care, is purportedly dirty and severely overcrowded, with two or more patients sharing each bed. But even these women are fortunate compared to the residents of many of South Darfur's remote villages.
I visited Kassarat al-Buram, a village south of Nyala, in November 2008. While there, we asked the residents where they go for medical care. Kassarat al-Buram does not have a clinic or medical center and is located over 2 hours by foot from Nyala. However, Nyala offers the closest available health care. While one of Nyala's internally displaced persons (IDP) camp is closer to Kassarat al-Buram than the city of Nyala itself, the camp's clinic is only open to residents of the camp.
Consequently, many women end up giving birth in the village. As was pointed out, the village does not have any trained midwives. Thus, the only assistance available to these women is the "traditional midwife." I, of course, had to ask what this meant. And we were given a very vivid answer.
This meeting was held in a large canvas tent in the village. The tent was intended as a school, but due to a lack of teachers, it now serves merely as a meeting place or maybe community center. The tent is held up by several wooden branches, and hanging from one of these branches was a medium-weight rope. As demonstrated by the village's traditional midwife, traditional childbirth in Darfur apparently involves standing at a forty-five degree angle while hanging onto this or a simlar rope. Women then push the baby out from there.
The reality of this experience was further hit home at the end of the meeting, when a woman of 19 or 20 allowed me to hold her new baby. This little boy was absolutely adorable and seemed healthy despite the village's general plight. But while I was holding this little boy, the traditional midwife who, like the baby's mother, did not speak English, tried to explain through gestures that this baby had been born using the rope method. I couldn't help but look at him and his mother in a very different way.
I have to admit, I was shocked. There are certainly a number of things in this world that I would rather never experience, but this one quickly shot to the top ten. Clearly, the women of Kassarat al-Buram are much more courageous than I.
...is a disturbing proposition under the best of circumstances but, under certain conditions, can be downright horrific.
The most fortunate women in South Darfur have the privilege of giving birth at the Nyala Teaching Hospital. Very few of these, however, can afford to pay for medical care. Those who can afford to pay for treatment have the opportunity to give birth in the best wing of the Nyala Hospital, which is basic but sterile and spacious. The remainder of the hospital, which offers universal health care, is purportedly dirty and severely overcrowded, with two or more patients sharing each bed. But even these women are fortunate compared to the residents of many of South Darfur's remote villages.
I visited Kassarat al-Buram, a village south of Nyala, in November 2008. While there, we asked the residents where they go for medical care. Kassarat al-Buram does not have a clinic or medical center and is located over 2 hours by foot from Nyala. However, Nyala offers the closest available health care. While one of Nyala's internally displaced persons (IDP) camp is closer to Kassarat al-Buram than the city of Nyala itself, the camp's clinic is only open to residents of the camp.
Consequently, many women end up giving birth in the village. As was pointed out, the village does not have any trained midwives. Thus, the only assistance available to these women is the "traditional midwife." I, of course, had to ask what this meant. And we were given a very vivid answer.
This meeting was held in a large canvas tent in the village. The tent was intended as a school, but due to a lack of teachers, it now serves merely as a meeting place or maybe community center. The tent is held up by several wooden branches, and hanging from one of these branches was a medium-weight rope. As demonstrated by the village's traditional midwife, traditional childbirth in Darfur apparently involves standing at a forty-five degree angle while hanging onto this or a simlar rope. Women then push the baby out from there.
The reality of this experience was further hit home at the end of the meeting, when a woman of 19 or 20 allowed me to hold her new baby. This little boy was absolutely adorable and seemed healthy despite the village's general plight. But while I was holding this little boy, the traditional midwife who, like the baby's mother, did not speak English, tried to explain through gestures that this baby had been born using the rope method. I couldn't help but look at him and his mother in a very different way.
I have to admit, I was shocked. There are certainly a number of things in this world that I would rather never experience, but this one quickly shot to the top ten. Clearly, the women of Kassarat al-Buram are much more courageous than I.
Labels: Sudan
posted by Hillary | 2:49 PM
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