BELLE FASSAMA, Gbarpolu – Community and district leaders in Belle District, Gbarpolu are pushing to construct a maternal waiting home at the Bade Clinic.

Situated in Belle Fasama Town, the Bade Clinic is one of the two government clinics in Belle District, catering to a daily influx of 35-50 patients and a catchment population of 13,963 individuals residing in hard-to-reach areas, some located up to five hours away.

Lucia Bolay, a registered midwife at the clinic, emphasized the pressing need for a maternity waiting home.

Without such a facility, Bolay said expectant mothers who live far away from the clinic often resorted to delivering on the roadside while traveling to the clinic. Although there are ways to mitigate the effects of not having the maternal waiting home, it is not enough, she added.

“In the absence of the home, we do outreach sometimes. Before, someone was coming to the facility and gave birth on the road, which is not good,” Bolay said. “With this maternity home, we will be able to help patients from here.”

Bade Clinic in Belle Fassama Town. Photo: Henry B. Gboluma, Jr.

Community members tried to build the maternity waiting home two years ago and even laid the foundation. However, progress halted due to insufficient support and resources, emphasizing the need for external assistance to ensure the completion of the much-needed facility.

The Belle District commissioner, John Belle, urged non-governmental organizations and government agencies to help the community construct the waiting home.

“We need support from the government or county to help with the issues of this maternity waiting home,” he said.

Featured photo by Henry Gboluma, Jr.