MEET JANE RONO A CHAMPION FOR SAFER BIRTHS IN TINDERET
Jane Rono had been a traditional birth attendant (TBA) for more than 15 years. Although she does not recall the exact number of deliveries she handled, she estimates the number to be between 180 and 200 without single mortality.
The County Government of Nandi has partnered with Nutrition International to reorient TBAs to be Birth Companions, thus increasing their knowledge and skills through training, giving them a role in referring and accompanying women to nearby facilities, and providing pregnant women with a mix of the personal and professional care that they need and want.
More often the first point of contact for a pregnant woman in her community is the Birth Companion, so a key component of the partnership is to enhance Birth Companion’s role to support pregnant women’s access to health care.
Jane, was one of the most influential TBAs in Kamelil location, thus has emerged to be the best performing Birth Companion in Tinderet Sub County.
The art of improvisation is when the best is not available and the available becomes the best. That was the case for Jane. When she lacked gloves, she used polythene bags: “It was all about improvising,” she recalls. “I didn’t have razor blades, and so I used the sharp edge of sorghum stems to cut the umbilical cord.”
To stop the bleeding, Jane mixed millet flour in water and got women to drink; stopping the bleeding instantly. And when the placenta got retained, she used a simple technique of splashing traditional herbs onto the cervix and ‘expertly’ moved her fingers around to cause the mother to clench her abdomen.
Since becoming a Birth Companion, Jane has accompanied more than 80 women to Setek Health Center, Kamelil Dispensary and Meteitei Sub County Hospital, all of whom have safely delivered their babies in a secure environment where they had access to vital, skilled health care.
Jane is currently happy in her new role as a Birth Companion and is a proud champion for hospital delivery.
“I am at peace because I do not have to worry about a woman or baby dying during delivery while under my care,” said Jane. “I can now sleep peacefully knowing that in the hospital, both the mother and child are safe.”
The County Government of Nandi is committed to promoting effective health and nutrition programmes, and believes that access to basic health healthcare is essential to breaking the cycle of maternal and child mortality.
The changing the role of the Birth Companions to support facility-based delivery is now feasible and acceptable across Nandi.
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