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…Calls for Inclusion of More LGAs in MAMII Programme.
Pregnant women in Kwara State can now have free delivery, including surgery, in five hospitals across the State.
The hospitals are University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Oke Oyi; Kwara State University Teaching Hospital, KWASUTH, Ilorin; Offa General Hospital, Offa; Aisha Buhari Mother and Child Hospital, Eyenkorin; and General Hospital, Kaiama.
This was announced by the Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, at the ongoing workshop on Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Innovative Initiative MAMII, in Kwara State.
Dr El-Imam said that the initiative is to address the barriers to quality and comprehensive healthcare for pregnant women and their babies.
“What sets MAMI apart is not just its ambition, but its alignment with the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) —an approach anchored in the National Health Act and the Nigeria Health Sector Reform Investment initiative (NHSRI). This Initiative is about one voice, one plan, and one coordinated effort, backed by a compact signed by Federal, State Governments and development partners.”
“delays in seeking care, delays in reaching care, delays in receiving care, and perhaps most tragically, delays in coordination and accountability. MAMIi’s strategic framework addresses all these delays through data, governance, health facility and community innovation, and smart resource alignment.”
Dr El-Imam explained that the State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, is strengthening primary healthcare; upgrading health infrastructure; expanding health insurance coverage, supporting innovative programmes that prioritize maternal, newborn and child health; increased salaries of health workers twice in two years and actively recruiting, to address the gaps in the sector as well as motivate practitioners.
She however, stressed that government’s efforts in crashing maternal and infant mortality across the country would not make a difference except healthcare workers discharge their duties with atmost responsibility and compassion.
Speaking on the MAMII programme in Kwara State, the State Commissioner for Health who explained that Moro and Ilorin East Local Government Areas were chosen for the programme because of the high incidence of maternal and neonatal mortality rate there, called for the inclusion of other local government for improved results across board.
“While we understand the data-driven nature of the selection criteria, I wish to humbly call on the National Coordinator and relevant authourities to revisit this scope. Kwara State, harbors underserved communities with high maternal and neonatal risks thay may not be fully reflected in the national dataset due to failure at data reporting. As a State, we are strengthening this now.
We urge that more LGAs in the State are considered to ensure no woman or child is left behind simply due to statistical limitations.”
Dr El-Imam expressed optimism that the health indicator on maternal and neonatal deaths would crash when implementation of MAMII interventions commence fully.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of MAMII, Dr Deji Adeyanju announced that the Federal Government was working on an emergency short code for pregnant women to access urgent care.
Dr Adeyanju who expressed concern that despite available health services, seventy percent of child delivery still happens at home, called on traditional and community leaders to educate their people on the essence of seeking professional care.
He also urged State and Local Government to provide vehicles in communities for easy transportation of pregnant women to health facilities during emergency cases and also put in place tracking mechanism to ensure that women attend antenatal services regularly.
Dr Adeyanju emphasized that both Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care should be accessible twenty-four hours and that data on maternal deaths should be properly documented for reference purpose.
The National Coordinator of MAMII explained that MAMII adopted a sector wide approach to aggregate diverse opinions and ensure a comprehensive health intervention.
Highpoint of the event was the presentation of a video clip titled “Why Mrs X Died,” highlighting the various obstacles to safe child delivery.
The MAMII workshop is being attended by over seventy participants across Kwara State.
Ilorin/Rasheedat Iliyas
