Due to transportation difficulties and rising fuel prices, displaced pregnant women in western Pekhon are facing challenges in accessing hospitals and clinics.
“Traveling is extremely difficult. As everyone knows, fuel prices are very high. Normally, we should be getting check-ups once a month, but now we can only go once every three or four months,” said a displaced pregnant woman from western Pekhon.
She also explained that some women have suffered miscarriages because of the transportation difficulties.
Pregnant women in western Pekhon have to travel nearly an hour by motorcycle or car just to reach the nearest clinic. For ultrasound scans, they must travel all the way to Demoso, a journey that takes around four hours on rough roads.
“If the roads were smooth and transportation were convenient, the risk of miscarriage would be lower. But when the roads are rough, and women have to ride in heavily shaking vehicles like tractors, the chances of miscarriage become higher. If clinics and hospitals are very far away, pregnant women cannot receive regular check-ups or properly take prenatal supplements, which can also lead to miscarriage,” said Daw Floraing, a midwife serving with the Karenni Nurses Association (KNA).
She further explained that malnutrition and the sounds of armed conflict can also affect pregnant women, causing premature births, underweight babies, and, in the worst cases, miscarriages.
The KNA midwife also urged pregnant women to seek medical care at nearby hospitals, clinics, or health centers as soon as they know they are pregnant, to eat nutritious food, and to avoid heavy physical labor.
