By Binta Jaiteh
Large number of pregnant women Wednesday joined other women in a protest tagged Women’s Lives Matter to express their dismay and concerns over the rise in maternal mortality rate in the country.
Participants of the protest which comprised men and women dressed in white T-shirts with inscription “No Woman Should Die in Labour,” “Ministry of Health Protect Us” among others and marched from the busy Westfield to Alliance Franco chanting ‘Women’s Lives Matter.’
Women’s Lives Matter campaign has been trending on social media – as tens of thousands of Gambians and sympathisers around the world joined in the social media campaign to change their profile to the slogan and as well expressed their dismay on Barrow led administration over the rise in maternal deaths.
The protesters also chanted “let’s make sure today be a turning point for this country, let’s make sure today be a turning point for our women.”
Sanna Marong, one of the organizers of the protest described the rise in death of women during child birth as a “sad situation.” He pointed out that “there was a woman who gave birth to a set of twins at Bakau but she died due to low blood pressure.”
He noted that the protest was not for women only but men also as they need to play a key role in stopping what he called ‘terrific situation in the healthcare sector.’
Another organizer, Ramatoulie Laobe said: “the rate of maternal death is getting higher compared to previous years.”
She believed that is Allah who takes life, but sometimes doctors can be cruel, saying it is responsibility of the doctors to advice the women about the things needed during pregnancy.
“We are eager to know the reason why the maternal maternity death of women is high,” she said but quickly pleaded with Gambian Government and the Ministry of Health to work hand in hand to make a stop to the dilemma women are facing during child bath.
Meanwhile she attributed the situation to “lack of drugs or the doctors are the one who are not performing their responsibility as expected.”
Kebba Njie, urged government to wake up and provide people’s need. In his view he said the health system is very poor and he feared that if care is not taken this will continue to occur and that will be disastrous.
