If You Don’t have Money for Gloves, Give Birth at Home – Chalamila

The Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Albert Chalamila, has urged the residents of the region to refrain from introducing politics into personal matters, particularly health-related issues, as this will not help them. Instead, it will delay them and potentially cause more harm.

Speaking recently with residents of Temeke in Dar es Salaam, Chalamila explained that there are times when hospital supplies may not be available, and patients may need to purchase items themselves as hospitals cannot always have a complete stock of equipment.

Chalamila recounted a story of a pregnant woman who called him, complaining that a doctor had told her to pay 50,000 Tanzanian shillings to buy supplies, including gloves, to assist with childbirth.

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Chalamila told her not to pay the money and advised her to go home and give birth there instead.

“One woman called me and said, ‘Sir, I was told here at the hospital that they ran out of gloves and other supplies necessary for my delivery. They said I need to pay 50,000 shillings to help purchase these items for my delivery.’”

Chalamila, explaining his response, said he told the woman to go home if she was not willing to buy the supplies. “I told her, ‘Sorry, but that is not right. Leave the hospital, take a taxi, go home, and tell your husband to bring a knife and scissors to help you deliver.’”

He further clarified that the reason for advising her this way was that there are times when supplies are unavailable, and patients must assess their situation and how to manage it before resorting to complaints.