One hundredth baby born at Red Cross field hospital

Topics: National, Emergencies and Disasters Worldwide
December 02, 2013

The delivery ward is an exciting place in any hospital, but in the Red Cross' emergency response unit field hospital in Ormoc, Philippines, delivering 100 babies in the first 10 days since opening has kept the team of midwives on their toes.

The 100th delivery, a baby girl named Gwendolen, was born at noon December 1. Her mother Joanne, 25, gave birth in the maternity tent of the field hospital while father Benito waited outside, and named her daughter after one of the Red Cross hospital’s personnel. Since opening, the facility has carried out 21 life-saving caesarian sections, and delivered three sets of twins.

Anette Huidfeldt and Hanna Oommen, midwives from the Norwegian Red Cross, are with one of the first medical teams to have arrived in the Philippines after many regions were devastated by Typhoon Haiyan. After helping to build the field hospital in only 48 hours, Anette and Hanna got straight to work.

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 12,000 babies are expected to be born each month in the areas of the Philippines that were hit hardest by Typhoon Haiyan. Members of the health emergency response unit knew they would be seeing lots of infants, but they were still surprised to set up as a hospital that has been devoted almost entirely to mothers and children.
 
If you speak to the Red Cross team of midwives and post-partum nurses though, all credit goes to Ormoc’s new mothers, and to the staff of the Ormoc District Hospital, which the emergency response unit is supporting. “I’m continually surprised by the strength of the mothers,” said midwife Hanna. “There are sometimes 10 mothers in the delivery tent – which is the size of one deliery room in Norway – labouring with no pain relief, and always smiling; they are incredible.”

Many of Ormoc’s medical staff had their homes severely damaged or destroyed by the typhoon, but they come to work to help others every day, often working very long hours. “We are so pleased to be here to work together with them,” added Hanna. “Supporting them is a privilege.”

The Red Cross health emergency response unit deployed to the city of Ormoc to assist the public hospital, which was severely damaged by Typhoon Haiyan.
 

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