Readers’ reactions

Tufton urges women to consider motherhood if they can afford it

Will the government pay me to have more children?

– @PrettyDiverBee

Sad way to look at life always pushing women to have kids. What’s the agenda here? You will only have more fatherless kids and the problems of society will just continue.

– @dblsims

Men, consider fatherhood if you can afford it.

– @vnezah

Give them a year maternity leave with child allowance and tax benefits if you want women to have more children.

– @naturalfitnessja

Promote fatherhood and husband lifestyle then we’d actually want to be mothers and wives. And no, we can’t afford especially not by ourselves.

– @ms.campari

Who is expressing these concerns? If people decide they can’t afford to have kids or more kids and the gov’t should represent the people, who is encouraging us to have more kids? And why?

– @beemillmckie

When the cost of living is reduced then maybe the birth rate will increase ... How about that?

– @shina_toocute

So we’re just not going to encourage men to become fathers? Why are we still giving all the responsibility to women to fix the low birth rate?

– @shellyannweeks

If the government can afford it why not give us money.

– @deemy_troya

Please leave us alone sir, it’s a struggle to be alive as it is.

– @sooshamoosh

Can barely afford a dog much less a pickney.

– @shaynhacker

Consider better healthcare, access to proper equipment and health services. Consider better hospital food, consider more care and attention in the hospital, consider hiring more doctors and nurses ... consider making the overall healthcare system more humane.

– @lamaz_bear

Because anuh money alone raise pickney.

– @theoni_monae

How about we look at the ‘cost of living’ first; then embark on a campaign encouraging men to be great fathers to their children and only then can we can encourage women to have children!

– @dpublicist

While our health minister encourages motherhood if we can afford it, it’s important to recognize that having children is a significant decision. If you insist @dr.christophertufton we have children, it would be great to enhance, maintain and provide adequate support, including prenatal benefits and family programs, accessible child care … essential for ensuring the well-being of both parents and children.

– @_.charms.__

The hospitals are equipped to facilitate more births? Because I could list a number of things that should be in place before you even begin to encourage this. We have enough autoclaves to sterilize equipment? We have enough functioning beds on the wards? We have enough nurses to nurse the mothers? We have working AC in the operating theatres? We have enough anaesthetic machines if the mother needs an emergency C section?

– @vminott

Readers’ reactions sourced from The Gleaner’s X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram pages. Compiled by Khanique McDaniel