Nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana wants all county health facilities offering maternity services to have a separate ward for recovery for mothers who have gone through stillbirth.
In a motion, Kibwana said the wards should also be used by mothers who have lost their babies during delivery to help them deal with the loss.
She said women who go through stillbirth and those that lose their children during delivery are taken to the general maternity ward where other mothers with healthy babies are recovering, thereby causing them mental anguish.
She urged the Ministry of Health in collaboration with counties to facilitate continuous mental health training and the provision of counselling support in the perinatal wards for all primary care providers.
“They should establish counselling facilities at all county health facilities with maternity wings to provide counselling therapy to mothers who lose their children through a miscarriage, during delivery, or through stillbirth,” Kibwana said.
She said counties need to establish counselling facilities to provide counselling therapy to mothers who are suffering from perinatal and postpartum depression.
Hamida said integrating mental health care into primary healthcare settings requires training in psychiatric care and providing consulting support to primary care providers.
According to the World Health Organization, 10 per cent of pregnant women and 13 per cent of women who have just given birth experience a mental condition referred to as a perinatal depression.
This is higher in developing countries with 15.6 per cent during pregnancy, and 19.8 per cent after childbirth.
