An early start saw us at the Mountain Inn for a UNFPA sponsored breakfast training session with many of the midwives and doctors i had come across during my hospital and clinic visits the previous week:
Dr Hassan from the UNFPA introduced the session and spoke about 3 things he saw as a priority to improve maternal health – family planning (contraception), the training of midwives and patient access to care.
I delivered a talk about my experiences of the Flight For Every Mother project in Swaziland and beyond, followed by maternal collapse and haemorrhage. Much discussion was stimulated, in particular about the issues of accountability, training of doctors, midwives and nurses and documentation.
As we waited for the Minister of Health to come and address the audience, I went on to run a haemorrhage drill. This was received with much enthusiasm and requests to the Ministry of Health officials for such training to be incorporated on a regular basis. What a great feeling for me to have inspired in that way! The Deputy Minister of Health went on to promise further dialogue on maternal health and invited opinion on who should take this forward. The nursing and medical unions were nominated and I suggested adding a patient representative. The Ministry of Health and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) would be there to support too. May 5th 2014 – the international day of the midwife – was chosen as the date to have made significant change by. I said I hoped to be present on this day!
From there I was asked to do a quick live TV interview for the local Swazi network, and then Becky and I spent an hour or so with further interview questions for me. By now I was definitely becoming more comfortable with being in front of the camera and having to think less hard about my responses!
And then it was ‘bye to Becky who was leaving for London, and lunch for me – this time a lunch to raise the profile of the Girl Child Education Fund with representation from the Nurses Association, Save the Children, sponsored girls and local business. Various speeches detailing the importance of the Fund were heard, and I was asked to give one too (at the beginning of the journey such a last minute request would have phased me but by now this was a common occurrence and so fairly simple to execute!)
Encouraging regular donations of any size was the suggested way forward so that more girls could be sponsored and empowered through education.
I am a product of a sound education. Not only have I been empowered professionally and socially, but I also developed the belief along the way that I could execute a project like Flight For Every Mother of my own accord. One very lucky girl!
We rushed from there to the Ministry of Health as we had just heard that my debriefing meeting would be at 4pm, so it was back in the car to Manzini!
The Minister was keen to hear about every aspect of my visit; I expressed my gratitude for such a warm welcome in Swaziland and such a well organised and broad reaching visit, and then took the opportunity to discuss the issues from Matsangeni Hospital and Siphofaneni Clinic that I had picked up. ‘Let’s try and take forward the clinical training ideas too,’ I urged!
I caught up with Ross, now back from his flying course, at the Peace Hotel after his longish drive from Barberton! We were both pretty shattered and shared a pizza before falling asleep! The weather was looking fine for our flight to Lesotho the following day.