Mazabuka to benefit from new mothers’ shelter

Maternity accommodation to help cut down on deaths during childbirth is provided by Stanbic Bank

Mazabuka General Hospital has a new mothers’ shelter, thanks to Stanbic Bank Zambia. The new accommodation will see pregnant mothers in the area benefit from a safe and conducive environment while awaiting delivery of their babies.
“With the weight of proper accommodation and quick access to maternal health facilities lifted off their shoulders, the mothers can now be allowed to concentrate on preparing for and looking after their new-borns,” said Stanbic Bank chief executive Mukwandi Chibesakunda at the commissioning of the shelter.
The shelter, built at the cost of K600,000, has all the necessary amenities to make staying at the hospital safe and comfortable for pregnant women and new mothers. Facilities include a sleeping area, shower, and a kitchen. The shelter also has a male wing for fathers-in-waiting, pending the discharge of their spouses and new-born children.
Mazabuka Provincial permanent secretary Sibaze Simuchoba thanked Stanbic Bank for their efforts in alleviating maternal and child mortality while promoting good health among women in the area.
Mrs Chibesakunda also pointed out how crucial the shelter is for both patients and hospital staff, as they will now be able to monitor and respond more easily to any complications that might arise. Patients from surrounding areas who previously have had to travel long distances to access the hospital’s services before will also be able to make use of this new facility.
“Stanbic Bank recognises the importance of good health in a nation’s well-being. We also recognise that the health of a mother and child is crucial in that equation. It is with this in mind that the bank has taken up health for women as one of its corporate social investment pillars. Much work has gone in eradicating maternal and infant child mortality before, during and in the immediate days after childbirth, but there is still much more that remains to be done,” she said.
“Mothers will always hold a special place in our lives – that is not to say that fathers are of lesser importance, because they, too, have our place – but today, our focus is on the mothers,” added Mrs Chibesakunda.
An avid advocate of health for women, with one of the core pillars embedded in its corporate social responsibility model, Stanbic Bank remains committed to endorsing health in the country, in collaboration with the relevant government departments and health authorities.
Stanbic Bank Zambia is constantly seeking opportunities to better the lives of the Zambian people in line with the bank’s motto: “Zambia is our home and we drive her growth”. The bank believes that by facilitating the construction of mothers shelters it is helping to drive Zambia’s growth and save lives.
“We believe that these are the lives of our future leaders, our future CEO’s, our future Doctors and indeed, our future Presidents,” said the bank.