Vodacom’s M-Mama achieves milestone
Pregnancy related emergencies services are now fully government-funded
MPHO RAMOLULA
MASERU – Vodacom Lesotho’s M-Mama Programme has celebrated its transformation into a fully government-funded initiative. This vital service provides emergency transport for expectant mothers and newborns in the country, ensuring access to critical healthcare.
M-Mama is the telecommunications company’s initiative to reduce preventable maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality with the provision of emergency transport from the community to the facility where the client will be offered care. It is a Vodacom programme emergency transport that uses technology to connect mothers and newborns to vital saving healthcare.
For the last four years, M-Mama has been a vital lifeline in Lesotho. 7 675 mothers and newborns received emergency transport, resulting in an estimated 186 lives saved.
The government has been involved from the beginning of the programme, paying 20 percent of costs from year one when the project began – partners and sponsors, including Vodafone Foundation UK, CHAI, Touch Foundation and Vodacom Lesotho Foundation paid 80 percent of the costs.
The government kept increasing the cost burden at 20 percent every year until now when it covers 100 percent of costs. The government decided that if the donors and other partners have supported the country with finance and other resources, they should sustain the services beyond donor funding, so that no lives are lost. As the result, it has now taken full responsibility to make sure that this service continues with the government funding to save Basotho.
The stark reality of maternal and infant mortality in Lesotho, fueled by the inability of expectant mothers and their newborns to reach healthcare facilities in time, spurred the creation of the M-Mama programme, according to Vodacom Lesotho.
The programme recognized that the absence of ambulances and immediate medical personnel in many rural communities was a major contributing factor. Every pregnant woman and newborn, regardless of their location, deserved the chance to receive timely medical intervention, thus preventing unnecessary loss of life.
M-mama programme’s core objective was simple yet profound. To provide a rapid and reliable transport system for these vulnerable populations. The program understood that timely access to healthcare was a life or death issue, particularly during emergencies like childbirth complications. The lack of proper transportation often meant that mothers were left without crucial care, tragically resulting in preventable deaths.
“M-mama programme faced significant hurdles in its early stages before full government funding,” country director, Mahali Hlasa, said in an interview she had with Public Eye this week.
She recounted the struggles and initiative solutions implemented to ensure continued service. “Initially, a critical challenge was transportation”, she explained, adding that “many villages lacked access to vehicles, especially during emergencies. We couldn’t afford to wait for transport solutions to arise. To ensure swift response, we had to source vehicles and drivers from nearby villages.”
“This meant constantly recruiting and contracting new partners, guaranteeing a continuous supply of transport in case of emergencies.”
“This wasn’t easy,” she continued.
Hlasa pointed out that sometimes people would misuse the dispatch centre for non-emergency transport requests, causing delays and diverting resources from actual emergencies.
“We implemented a triage system at the dispatch centre. Our nurse-midwives, with their medical expertise, now assess calls and determine if the situation truly warrants immediate response. This careful screening helps prioritize emergencies and prevents unnecessary vehicle usage.”
A further complication was the inconsistent disbursement of government funds, with Hlasa explaining that “funding delays were a significant concern.”
She acknowledged, though, that “there were times when we faced the risk of service interruptions. To maintain continuous operations, we strategically utilized fund from the Vodacom Lesotho Foundation. This timely support allowed us to avoid disrupting the vital services provided by M-Mama programme.”
When asked about the benefit of government involvement, Hlasa responded: “The most significant benefit is that the funding covers all costs associated with ensuring that mothers and babies in emergencies can be referred from their communities to the next level of care. This means we can provide timely and essential transport, removing a major barrier to accessing vital healthcare services.”
The M-mama programme transition to full government funding marks a pivotal victory in Lesotho.
This secures the long-term sustainability of it’s vital emergency transport service for pregnant women and newborns, signifying a national commitment to maternal and child health and celebrating years of dedicated service and impactful results in reducing preventable deaths.
