Médecins Sans Frontières - REPORT: Maternity care in Mocha, Yemen (ARAB)

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF261082

Date taken / Date Recorded 18/12/2018 12:00 AM

Country Yemen

Commissioning section MSF-FRANCE

Photographer / videographer / producer Armelle Loiseau

Copyright MSF

Usage Rights (MSF) MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available yes

Editor's rating ★★★★★ (C)

Video format h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 3m43s

Maximum Size 1920px × 1080px 270.89 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist Reportage. Mocha, Yemen, December 2018

SLATE
MSF opened a trauma hospital in Mocha in Taiz governorate in August 2018
Khamisa is pregnant. She has lost a lot of blood

Synthé:
Elma Wong, MSF anaesthetist
“You can explain first of all that we are sorry but we think that her baby has passed away. For her, there is big concern that her womb might still continue to bleed. Would she be ok that, if we cannot control the bleeding, and if it is to help save her life, that we take the womb out?

SLATE
Khamisa had to have emergency surgery
A few days later she’s doing well

Furaha Walumpumpu, MSF midwife
“If we’d transferred her, this woman who was bleeding heavily would definitely not have made it to Aden. We’ve given her several blood transfusions to save her life. But MSF isn’t accessible everywhere. There may be women who can’t get to our hospital and die at home. A lot of maternal deaths are due to people not having enough money.”

SLATE
When Khamisa started bleeding, her husband had to first find the money to pay for a taxi
Then they went to the maternity in Mocha

Saeed, Khamisa’s husband
“We went to Dabah first (another hospital) but they couldn’t do anything. And there’s nothing in the pharmacy either.”

SLATE
Mocha is on the west coast of Yemen, halfway between Hodeidah and Aden
Along 450 km of coast, MSF’s hospital is the only surgical facility open to civilians, including pregnant women

Furaha Walumpumpu, MSF midwife
“Our health district has at least 400,000 people. There’s not one hospital anywhere in the district providing care to pregnant women and there’s no emergency obstetric care centre. When it’s an emergency, they’re sent to Aden, five hours away by road.

SLATE
Furaha’s work doesn’t stop at assisting women delivering babies in the MSF hospital
She also helps improve care in neighbouring maternity units

Furaha Walumpumpu, MSF midwife
The only assistance pregnant women get is from traditional birth attendants who have little training, so I figured teaching medical personnel might help reduce maternal mortality and futile transfers.”

SLATE
A few days later another pregnant woman is admitted.
It’s evening and Furaha has to come back to the hospital.
A few days later Furaha has to come back in the evening to examine a pregnant woman

“The pelvis is too narrow. Given the baby’s size, it’ll never pass.”
“This needs a caesarean.”
“Come on young man, let’s weigh you.”
“3.5 kg. Let’s say hello to mummy.”

Between August 2018 and January 2019, MSF’s teams performed 122 caesareans.