What people belief can either be true or false?
Every community has its own Beliefs .Beliefs of course
constitutes part of the way people live. It can be helpful or harmful.
Understanding such problems and specially on health issues can help to
encourage behaviors that promote health, prevent illness and cure the diseases.
This could not be done at once..It needs a continuous health education to our
patients and to our community.
The following is one of the interesting beliefs in our
community. Last week a young lady at the age of 8 years who had got a snake
bite was admitted in our hospital. The doctor of the ward managed her and
prescribed the necessary treatment. She improved a lot and the doctor told the
parent that she can go home today.meanwhlie the parents requested the nurse in
charge to let her remain on bed tonight.
At around 8’oclock of the evening DrJama who often come
to the ward to do an evening round saw the young girl on her bed with over 6
men around.her.All of the 6 men were holding big sticks.
‘what is wrong with our little Fadumo? I ordered for a
discharge today?”said Dr.Jama.
“Yes, you are right doctor., but we cannot go to home on
the 9th day from the snake bite, because on the 9th night the snake will again
find out my daughter where ever she is and will bite again. So, I preferred to
be here tonight and brought with me these 6 gentlemen to help me protect/kill
the snake”responded the father of the young girl.
On the next morning Dr jama recited the whole story to
our morning meeting. Everybody laughed and in short time there was many debates
and arguments about the myths and beliefs of our community. This reminds on the
years of 1997-2000 when I have worked with COOPI international and supervised
over 10 MCHs of Awdal region. During this time I have noticed many of such
unproved beliefs which can be harmful to the health status of the comunity.,for
this reason we have planned to make a health education 4 days a week to all the
patients and the relatives who come to the health centre.(Health education— is
a process to help individual and community improve their health by increasing
their knowledge). During these sessions many people near the MCH centers become
very much interested and rushed to listen the health education which the health
staff used to deliver,
The following beliefs are even more harmful and can
affect the person’s life as a whole.Most of the pregnant women fear that if
they eat the good meals ,the may become too fat and also their infant will in
turn overgrow and will cause “birht complications”.This type of belief still
exist and are a major setback for pregnant women and their children to get a
better health.I have asked some of the pregnant women who come to our OPD and
most of them told me “when ever I became pregnant I don’t eat good balanced
diet ,because I FEAR THEY WILL INTERFERE MY BIRTH.
I have met Mr Abdullahi Aden Nur who had recently
returned from Hargeisa.He told me that his brother’s wife and other 7 pregnant
mothers have got complicated delivery so all of them had been operated, and
just the day before he had witnessed another 6 pregnant mothers who could not
have the normal delivery. Again for this issue I contacted my colleague doctor
Ahmed Mohamed Gas who is the director Gargaar hospital of Hargeisa,he told me
that the average complicated delivery is 40-45 in a month. Meanwhile I have
also contacted the director of Borama general hospital Dr.Ismail Haji Aden Aye
and he informed that the monthly average of complicated delivery(who need
operation)are from 10—14. I am sure this issue is not only to the community of
Awdal region and Maroodi-jeex , but is also common to the rest of S/land
regions, Therefore I request my colleague doctors to consider deeply this
standing issue and come up with a sincere solution of such healthy haphazards.
Unfortunately, we know that balanced food are excellent
and are the much needed nutrients during pregnancy so by avoiding them will
cause poor maternal nutrition and increase risks of infant mortality.
Hence when such pregnant mothers are in labour they don’t
get the force of pushing out their baby when in the pelvis. Pregnant mothers
also may become anemic (shortage of blood) because of poor nutrition( since she
avoid taking the good balanced diet).Therefore, I propose to all my colleague
doctors to try and to eliminate such mal practices/beliefs and do a lot of
health education and awareness to our pregnant women/mothers. This may involve
home-based counseling of pregnant women in general.
By Dr,Abdi E.Obsieye,Borama hospital,Awdal
region,Somaliland.
abdirahmanobsi3@hotmail.com
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