What happens when a new father takes his first visit to a clinic? At Tema General Hospital's PMTCT and Antenatal Clinic we meet Emmanuel and his wife Susanna and through his eyes find the place of a Daddy in Accra today.
The role of men in supporting expectant mothers can't be stressed enough. Whether it's the idea of kangaroo care or just learning what to expect and how to be more supportive and involved in the pregnancy, men have responsibility between conception and the delivery room.Room 5, Room 6 and Nurse Kate Welcome UsAs we pulled into the sandy parking lot of Tema General Hospital, Anan our driver brought the van to a halt outside a pair of buildings that were the maternity section of the hospital. We were greeted by one of the nurses who welcomed us to the facility. She ushered us through a beautiful corridor of expectant mothers awaiting their turn with the nurses.From there we were introduced to Kate who explained more about the services available for the mothers at Tema General Hospital including the Daddy Clinics where she would encourage them to bring their husbands. "If they bring their husbands or partners and they need to go, we prioritise seeing them," she concluded.As she explained more about the mothers and we got acquainted with them I snuck off from the main group. Outside on white wooden benches in the waiting area I saw a man keeping to himself but engaging in casual conversation from time to time with the women beside him. Surrounded by expectant mothers he certainly stood out. It was then I went up and introduced myself to Emmanuel Beneh.Meeting Emmanuel and Susanna"I'm here with my wife, Susanna," he mentioned modestly. I reassured him that it was my first time too - not only visiting Tema as a Kenyan but also to the same hospital. We shared a laugh. Pointing through one window he gestured where she was in the line to see the nurse."I work over at Glass and Aluminium nearby and I asked my boss for permission to be here," Emmanuel added. He'd walked into his senior's office after his wife shared a request from her nurse that he accompany her to the clinic for this particular visit. Susanna at this point was 5 months pregnant.In the lobby when Kate had introduced us to the awaiting mothers-to-be I did a snap poll of who had their husbands or partners with them at least once so far in their pregnancies. There was only two out of the twenty ladies who had. Emmanuel was a hero for turning up and being supportive.Life in Tema for the CoupleEarlier that morning they left Community 22 nearby in Tema, where they lived in a single house together. Arriving at the Tema General Hospital at 6am they had waited for 20 women to be seen before Emmanuel took his place outside as Susanna and him exchanged glances through the window where she sat outside "Room 6" where she was about to be seen.As a daddy, Emmanuel was happy to support his wife and entered Room 6 soon afterto see the nurse together. As he and Susanna await the delivery of their first child in the months to come he said he'd be glad to come back again before delivery. Little did he know he'd be pleasantly surprised to turn a stranger into a friend. An chance interaction with one Kenyan put him at ease in a new environment.