PARLIAMENTARIANS have been urged to work closely with their district and municipal councils to ensure that family planning budget allocation is not diverted as a means to reduce maternal deaths.
The advice was given here yester- day by the Chairperson of parliamen- tarians, who are Safe Motherhood champions, Ms Hawa Ghasia during a seminar organised by the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood.
Ms Ghasia said there was need to make sure that health facilities, especially in rural areas, are accorded with needed equipment including a stand-by generator and ambulance, saying that experience shows that majority of people die in theatres when there is power cut or dur- ing referral when no ambulance is available.
“We must make sure that the allocation of family planning fund remains if we are to address maternal and child death,” said Ms Ghasia She added that time has come for family planning issues to be accorded the required prominence, adding that the services should be available in all health facilities especially in rural areas.
Coordinator of the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood in the country, Ms Rose Mlay, stressed the need for health centres to be near communities if the country is to save the life of expectant mothers who die due to lack of medical services in case of emergencies.
“The government must make sure that there are enough health personnel, drugs and equipment if we are to address maternal deaths in the country, which I believe if we join hands together, we can make it” said Mr Joseph Selasini (Rombo- Chadema)
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