Ra Maternity Hospital expands from modest origin to desirable facility

As the Ra Maternity Hospital celebrated its 55^th Anniversary, the number of mothers admitted and children delivered in their facility tells an exciting story of success.

Ever since its inception in 1970, the hospital has doubled its quantity and quality of admissions and deliveries from around 10 to almost 20 in a month over the years.

The message was clear as the hospital reached and achieved another milestone – it is not just surviving, it is also flourishing; the institution is attracting and drawing expectant mothers from across and around the Province of Ra.

A former staff, midwife Kinisimere Senikuta who served at Ra Maternity Hospital for almost 16 years witnessed the expansion in numbers of patients and her testimony revealed the upward trajectory of the institution.

“So, before, we always delivered 10 babies in a month, but comparing it to the past five years, we have gone up – sometimes we reach up to 10, 15 to 20 births in one month compared to the past years,” she recalled.

Senikuta says the hospital’s growth is not just about numbers, it is also about reach as it has steadily expanded its area of catchment to become the preferred choice for expectant mothers in Ra and neighboring communities.

“As for Ra Maternity Hospital, we have mothers from as far as Wainibuka, Tokaimalo, Nailuva, Navuni’ivi, and Namuaimadi who always prefer to come here rather than going down to Rakiraki,” she explained.

She said Ra Maternity Hospital provides healthcare services that are beyond medical policies and procedures, as mothers and children are also given gowns and clothes.

“We always give it to them until the day they are discharged from the hospital. Even the baby wipes, soaps, diapers and all, they are provided by the hospital,” Senikuta shared.

The approach addresses needs that can often be a burden for families, particularly those living and travelling from areas in the interior across the country.

At just $30 for admission and delivery services, Ra Maternity Hospital remains accessible and affordable to families from different socioeconomic levels.

Senikuta said the most interesting evidence of the quantity and quality services provided in the hospital is its exceptional record of safety and security.

“In the past 16 years, no baby died before and after giving birth, and there was no mum who had died when I was here. It shows that the hospital is really performing,” she said.

The impressive record of safety and security achieved by a small team of midwives, without medical officers, speaks volume about their skills and abilities.

Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Colleen Wilson also shared the institution’s story of success from its modest origin to desirable facility.

“The Ra Maternity Hospital was formerly known as the Navunibitu Catholic Maternity Unit. It had a humble beginning, with only 7 beds, but it has grown significantly as a place to cater for expectant mothers who opt to deliver in a hospital close to their villages,” she explained.

Wilson said that the hospital also crosses boundaries for culture as it does not just serve iTaukei individuals, but also cater for people from other races in communities

“It is not only iTaukei women but Indo Fijian women as well that were admitted and their babies delivered here in this institution,” she noted.

She said the hospital was established through the vision of the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary from France, who built healthcare facilities across the Pacific Islands.

“So, these nuns or sisters of the Missionary Sisters of Our Society of Mary provided assistance and support in Pacific Islands – they built schools, hospitals such as the Ra Maternity Hospital, and churches as well,” Wilson recounted.

Wilson said the prestigious “Baby Friendly Hospital” award that they earned is an evidence of the significant number of achievements in the upward trajectory for the hospital.

It was also through her two-year tenure, from 2003 to 2005, that the hospital was able to establish the mother’s support groups throughout the Province of Ra.

“I had also engaged and involved the mother’s support group of various areas in the Province of Ra. We collaborated to offer the assistance and support need in maternity healthcare,” Wilson explained.

As Ra Maternity Hospital celebrates 55 years of operation and existence, stakeholders are ambitious about further development and growth for the institution.

Wilson, therefore, challenged attendees to see and look beyond their current status as she noted their strategic location and potential for expanded services.

“I was thinking about the distance between health centers and hospitals in Ra; after the one in Korovou, then we have one in Waimaro, Ra Maternity Hospital, then one in Rakiraki. It’s quite a distance between health centers and hospitals in Ra,” she said.

“We have, today, reached and achieved 55 years of service in maternity healthcare – but will we still continue to operate as a small unit or is there any plan to expand into a big unit?”

The relief Charge Nurse, Isoa Natui expressed optimism about maintaining this growth, and said that it is because of the changes that have been undertaken in the hospital.

“I think it’s mostly because of some of the changes that we’ve done here, I think that’s what’s attracting and drawing people back to the hospital, which we’re hoping to increase it,” he shared.

It is a remarkable milestone for just a seven staff facility led by midwives, and the growth is also impressive when considering the competitive healthcare in other facilities such as in Rakiraki and Lautoka

The hospital’s unique structure for operation – a partnership between the Roman Catholic Church in Fiji and the Ministry of Health – has created conditions for sustainable development and growth for the institution.

Natui had highlighted the advantage of this distinctive collaboration between a faith-based organization and a government ministry.

“Let me congratulate the Catholic Church for having this hospital for 55 years, and also for having us, the Ministry of Health. So with us two working together, we’ve come this far, and I know that with our close liaison, we’ll be able to reach another 55 years,” he shared.

He also reflected on the important nature of midwifery in our communities.

“So, being a midwife is very challenging, especially because you deal with the life of the antenatal mum and the baby. When there is an antenatal mum coming in with labor pains, it’s like just writing a story, how you go through with that mum, until she delivers the baby,” Natui said.

“Over here, the life and the death of a mother and her baby are on you. I would always commit myself to the Lord before I come to work.”

The hospital weathered a considerable number of challenges, including Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016, but the resilience demonstrated during such adversities had only strengthened confidence in the institution.

As discussions about further partnership and expansion for Ra Maternity Hospital is expected to commence soon, the institution’s story of success offers a blueprint for sustainable healthcare development – one birth, one mother, one family at a time.

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For more information or for interviews, contact the Archdiocese of Suva Communications Office on email – aosfijicomms@gmail.com.