by Dr Ted Watts
A village like Andratamarina
On Wednesday morning, in a small village called Andratamarina, a young woman of 18 expecting her first child went into labour. As her contractions started, so did a long day of waiting and hoping. Meanwhile, 70km away at the Good News Hospital in Mandritsara, final preparations for the opening of the new maternity unit were in full swing. Floors were being swept, curtains hung, and worktops meticulously cleaned in order to prepare the unit to welcome patients for the first time.
The new maternity unit in the foreground
The maternity unit reception and midwives station
Even the new maternity garden was ready for the first patients to get some fresh air!
Maternity Garden
With the finishing touches complete, the team at the hospital went to bed with a sense of anticipation, excited for the next day’s opening. Back in her village, the young woman laboured on through the night, wondering when the baby would come.
By 7 a.m. the next morning, her mother decided it was time to act. Concerned that the labour had not progressed, she arranged for her daughter to make the journey to the Good News Hospital. Their only option for getting there was a taximoto—a motorbike taxi that often carries multiple passengers on difficult, uneven roads. With three people squeezed onto a single motorbike—the young woman in active labour, her mother, and the driver they began the two-hour journey to the hospital.
The ride was grueling. The narrow roads were dusty and full of potholes, and the rough terrain made every bump a painful challenge for the young woman. She later described how on the journey she felt like she couldn’t breathe, though she never gave up hope of reaching the hospital.
As she was making her way across the district, the hospital team were gathering for a short meeting of prayer and praise, dedicating the new maternity unit to God. We prayed for the mothers and babies who would come through its doors and for the opportunity to share the love of Christ with them.
The hospital team praying on the first morning
Soon after the meeting ended, the young woman and her family arrived - at just the right time! Some hours later, after a carefully monitored labour, she delivered a healthy baby boy. It was a privilege to see her joy at holding her baby boy in her arms. Both mother and baby are doing well.
The first baby safely born
On the same day, the mother and baby intensive care unit received its first patient—a premature baby born at just 30 weeks. Thanks to the new facilities, this little one has received specialist care and can remain close to his mother during treatment.
The mother and baby intensive care unit
The family of the first baby told us they came to the Good News Hospital because they knew they would receive excellent care. We are deeply thankful to God for this new maternity unit, which will allow us to provide safe deliveries and specialised care to families like theirs. We thank you all for your part in this - for your prayers, for your generosity, for your words of support and encouragement. And we give thanks to God for His amazing provision - we look forward to many more stories of life and hope within these walls.
Prayer points
Praise the Lord that the dream of a new and better maternity unit has been realised.
Pray for the midwives, doctors and all the staff that God would give them skill, diligence and care in their work, and a real love to share the Good News of Jesus with the patients.
Pray for those who maintain and care for all the specialised equipment.
Pray that many mothers and babies’ lives would be saved here, and that many women and their families might come to trust in the God who has provided the Good News Hospital for them.