Doctors at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) have been using innovative methods such as the condom balloon tamponade to prevent mothers from bleeding to death after childbirth.
The procedure is an improvisation of a Uterine Balloon Tamponade that is very costly to procure.
It involves tying a condom to a pipe and inserting it into the womb, then running water through the pipe into the condom to inflate it inside the bleeding uterus.
The balloon presses on the bleeding vessels inside thereby controlling the bleeding.
The technology substitute goes a long way to make the service cheaper and more accessible to women who need the intervention.
Postpartum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality in low and middle-income countries.
The most common cause of bleeding is the failure of the uterine muscle to contract sufficiently after delivery.
A doctor from the leading referral hospital told Kenyans.co.ke that the balloon can remain in the uterus for two days, and when administered properly, it saves 97% of the women who use it.
The process is currently being implemented in ten counties namely; Nairobi, Siaya, Kisumu, Homabay, Kakamega, Nakuru, Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit and Turkana and covering a total of 238 health facilities.
The procedure can be taught to caregivers as a first aid measure before patients are transported to a medical referral facility.
