Baby dies after birth complications in remote village

A mother from the remote Mane Village in the East Okapa LLG has survived life-threatening childbirth complications that tragically claimed the life of her newborn son.

In March, Kanai Fani gave birth in her village without medical assistance. The delivery was complicated by a retained placenta, a condition that developed because the baby’s umbilical cord was not clamped or cut during labour.

“I lost a lot of blood, became pale, and passed out,” Fani recounted.

There were no trained birth attendants or health workers present at the time, and the nearest health facility, Okapa Station Health Centre, is several hours away on foot.

Members of the Mane Community Development Association, a local group focused on improving living conditions, stepped in to help.

“Some of the men built a makeshift stretcher and carried me for 20 kilometers to the health centre,” she said.

Still unconscious upon arrival, Fani was later transferred to Yasubi Health Centre for surgery.

“Unfortunately, when I woke up the next morning, I found out my baby boy had died.”

The incident highlights the critical need for improved maternal health services in remote parts of Papua New Guinea, where many women give birth without access to skilled care or emergency medical support.