Mahikeng clinic runs out of antenatal supplements: “I am scared for my baby”
Health-e News Mahikeng clinic runs out of antenatal supplements: “I am scared for my baby” MAHIKENG – Pregnant women using Ramatlabama Health Centre outside Mahikeng in the North West Province, say they have been unable to get antenatal supplements from the clinic for months and instead have been advised to buy supplements privately from pharmacies.
The healthcare facility serves more than 2,000 residents in the surrounding rural community.
One expectant mother, Dimakatso* had her pregnancy confirmed at the clinic in June and when she returned in July, was given one pack of folic acid and ARVs.
When she went back in August she was told there were no supplements available.
“They wrote it on a maternity book and said to me I must go buy pills at Clicks or a pharmacy.” “Where will I get the money? Those things are expensive.” Community healthcare workers in the area are concerned that the stockout could lead to health complications for both mothers and their unborn babies if not addressed urgently.
“I didn’t buy them the first month after booking at the facility.
I am waiting for next month when they say maybe stock will come,” said another pregnant woman in her first trimester.
“I am scared for my baby.
What will happen if the pills are not supplied again?” Why antenatal supplements matter South Africa’s primary healthcare guidelines recommend iron, calcium and folic acid supplements as part of antenatal care.
The guidelines state that iron can help prevent anaemia — low levels of healthy red blood cells.
Calcium can help prevent pre-eclampsia — a pregnancy complication involving high blood pressure — while folic acid taken before conception and during early pregnancy can help prevent neural tube defects affecting the development of the baby’s brain and spinal cord.
A 2021 review of South African research found that anaemia affected between 29% and 42.7% of pregnant women in the studies examined.
Health-e News found that at private pharmacies, a month’s supply of iron supplements costs about R160, while 30 calcium tablets cost around R120.
Several unemployed mothers in Ramatlabama village told Health-e News they cannot afford these prices.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on health-e.org.za — the content belongs to Health-e News.
