Mbabane: Government through the Ministry of Home Affairs has launched a mini-service centre for births and deaths registrations at the Mbabane Government Hospital.
The centre will provide a timely and easy registration of the hospital’s new births and deaths, ensuring that certificates are produced on the spot. This is the second mini-service centre to be opened by Government after RFM Hospital in Manzini. The plan for the government is to roll out the programme to 11 public health facilities that provide maternity services across Eswatini.
Speaking during the launch, Home Affairs Minister Princess Lindiwe said having every birth and death registered in time is of importance in ensuring that every citizen and legal residents appear in the Population Register. She said the roll out of these crucial services is important.
She added that the ministry is continuing with the implementation of the recommendation of the Comprehensive Country Assessment of Civil Registration & Vital Statistics Systems Report and the Comprehensive Assessment of Barriers to Birth Registration.
Minister of Health Lizzie Nkhosi encouraged new mothers to make sure that their children are registered at birth and they leave the hospital with their child’s certificate. All they have to do is bring their ID and marriage certificate if married. If unmarried, the father will bring his ID. Minister Nkosi said in the case of absent fathers, women will still be able to apply for birth certificates.
“Previously, about 90% of babies were born in our hospitals but the Birth Registrar would record only 54%, which means we were behind as a country in terms of enforcing registration and yet birth certificates are a necessity from pre-school to tertiary level & for scholarship purposes,” said Nkosi.
