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Botswana Babies ‘Being Delivered Using Mobile Phone Lighting’
Midwives at a Botswana clinic are using their mobile phones as a source of light when delivering babies at night due to a lack of electricity in Kweneng district to the country’s south-east, Africa Review reports.
Kweneng East legislator Moeng Pheto this week told Parliament that the situation was bad and nurses have been left with no choice but to use cellphone lighting when monitoring the progression of labour in pregnant women.
Mr Pheto urged Minerals, Water and Energy Resources minister Kitso Mokaila to speed up the connection of electricity in the area.
“Where there is shortage of electricity, expectant mothers, child and midwife are exposed to serious health conditions,” he said.
Mr Moeng’s sentiments come barely a week after President Ian Khama assured the nation that government is extending the national electricity grid with the target of achieving 80 per cent access by 2016.
He said 28 villages have been selected for electrification during the 2012/2013 financial year.
Health experts have warned that the Kweneng kind of situation could be dangerous.
Posted by
OMG!!
November 18, 2012 at 10:47 am
better than ‘koloboi’
Barotse diaspora
November 18, 2012 at 11:38 am
Unfounded twisted story tumfweko why exaggerate? botswana is a rich country. Rural hospital and clinics their am sure they have other altenatives generators, solar,and many modern lighting system.tell me where these nurses charge their cell phones?
Grant
November 18, 2012 at 12:11 pm
This shouldnt be happening in a country considered to be one of the richest in Africa.
Abena Ess
November 18, 2012 at 3:07 pm
Despite its proclaimed wealth Botswana has some of the most undeveloped rural areas. You can actually see from Botswana that Africans can’t plan. They only know how to pocket communal wealth
Dead terrorist
November 18, 2012 at 10:13 pm
Dis exactly wat hapens in north westen province only 2 districts ave electricity 24/7…nurses celphon torch light to conduct deliveries after 24hrs…..ts hell….i think ts hi tym we took to task pipo we elect as mps esp mufumbwe if PF wants dominance even in 2016 let em conect mufumbwe to nation grid…zo-ona 48yrs afta independence deliverin wit candle light @ a district hosp twapapata pliz…..som pipo on oxygn die coz power goz @ 24hrs…is dat fair????losin a lyf which cud be saved…….let no developt be hinded by distance or tribaslism or no rulin party seat in da area no…so ba pf govt pliz we voted for u knowin u’ll bring abt da mch needed change in mufumbwe….amalaiti ba masumba tuleyafwaya…this wil help reduce infant death born wit asphyxia after 24hrs……twafwani…tumfweni ukulila…….
SK
November 18, 2012 at 11:59 pm
What happened to a torch or Lamps? If they can charge their cellphones, they can use rechargeable lamps. How do they charge their cellphones? Someone is trying to play politics as if people are ignorant. This place must have electricity for them to be charging their phones.
NDIYO ZO PULAMA
November 19, 2012 at 4:46 pm
ba tumfweko with yo misleading headlines.
bajoe
November 19, 2012 at 5:25 pm
Rome was not built in the day