The Ekiti State House of Assembly Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, headed by the Deputy Speaker and Chairman, Rt. Hon. Bolaji Olagbaju has held an interactive meeting with the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Ekiti State Chapter, to address the alarming rates of maternal and infant mortality in the state.
The meeting held at the Assembly Complex had in attendance representatives of the association from the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital; Primary Health Care, and the Hospital Management Board, aimed to collaborate, strategize, and implement effective solutions that will significantly reduce these preventable deaths.
The Deputy Speaker in her address, stated that due to the recent declaration of Ekiti State having the second highest rate of maternal mortality in Nigeria, the Committee recognized the necessity to engage with frontline healthcare providers in the state to identify areas of improvement and jointly work with other relevant stakeholders to formulate and recommend comprehensive strategies to the state government for immediate solution.
Olagbaju also expressed that all hands must be on deck to assess the current state of maternal and infant mortality, identify root causes and contributing factors, so as to develop targeted intervention, best practices and action plans specific to Ekiti State.
In addition, other members of the Committee that included Hon. Princess Teju Okuyiga and Hon. Femi Akindele present at the meeting, assured of their support to the state government in finding a lasting solution to the problem through constant engagement with relevant stakeholders in the health sector and a responsive legislation where necessary.
In their various contributions, the State Chairman of the Association, Comrade Kunle Oni, represented by the Association State Auditor and Assistant Director of Maternity Department, EKSUTH, Mrs Comfort Ipinlaye, attributed some of the causes of high maternal mortality as poverty, ignorance of patients, inadequate facilities and manpower, late referrals, and lack of motivation for nurses and midwives.
Comrade Oni however appealed to the government to put more effort in salvaging the situation through regular sensitisation of the public, particularly the nursing mothers and their partners, engagement and registration of mission homes involved in child delivery on fundamental processes, purchase of more ambulances, subsidizing healthcare for pregnant women, employment of more nurse and midwives, paying necessary and adequate allowances to widwives and those working at the rural areas to encourage more personnel at the grassroots.
Others members of the association also called on the government and management of government hospitals to relax some of the protocols and hindrances involved in admitting pregnant patients on emergency before commencement of treatment to avoid more casualty.
They added that government should also encourage and make the public see the benefits in family planning to reduce maternal mortality in the state.
