Shuaibu Usman
Some women in Lafia and Akwanga Local Government Areas have called on Nasarawa State Government, as the matter of urgency, to make delivery in all health facilities free and compulsory with a view to ending maternal and child mortality amidst hardship in the country.
They made their feelings known while speaking to our correspondent over the deteriorating situation of child birth in the local councils during the weekend.
Some residents of Lafia, Akumoshi Stephen and Priscilla Eliah said what prevents some women from going to health facilities to give birth is mainly financial constraint especially at this difficult moment of life.
According to them, the State and Federal Governments must come up with a new template for pregnant women to give birth free at government health facilities in the state, urging Governor Abdullahi Sule to make the demand compulsory as it would decrease the rising rate of maternal and infant mortality in the state.
A nurse, Abigail Manchi, advised government and non-governmental organisations in the state to encourage women to give birth in the hospital to reduce maternal mortality during pregnancy, encouraging women to come to the primary healthcare clinic no matter the current challenges.
In an interview with some men in Lafia, Hassan Ibrahim and John Musa explained that giving birth at home is a process whereby some men prepare their wives to give birth at home to be attended by a traditional birth attendant due to financial constraints without knowing the harmful complications.
The duo advised the state government to take up sensitization campaign to the remotest villages, insisting that will encourage women to visit facilities during pregnancy and delivery.
Residents of Akwanga Local Government Area, Deborah Bello and Patience Joseph said giving birth at home usually results to death of some women and their children because of medical bills and attitude of some health personnel in government hospitals and facilities.
Another residents of Akwanga Theresa Ablaku and Alheri Gambo called on women to avail themselves in the facilities by attending antenatal clinics during pregnancy to avoid complications attached to giving birth at home.
Nasarawa Newsline correspondent stumbled on a lecturer with the College of Nursing Sciences Lafia, Midwife Ashezi Ezekiel Maidawa, who is of the view that giving birth at home has reduced drastically due to sensitization campaign by the state government and other key partners in the health sector, saying journalists have a role to play in their news reportage and program contents to encourage women to visit facilities at all times.
She said there are different interventions available in the facilities and some of the programs are free and affordable as the government is committed to ensuring that health personnel are doing the right thing.