Peeved by the supposed stoppage of ante-natal services by the Edo State government, scores of pregnant women on Wednesday took to the streets of Benin City to kick against the action.
Speaking with journalists at the premises of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), their spokesperson, Mrs Happy Imafidon, decried the stoppage of ante-natal services by the Edo State government.
Imafidon said that they were surprised when they were turned back by some medical workers when they went to the Central Hospital, Benin City, for their regular ante-natal care.
She said that the hospital staff told the women that they were acting on instructions and that they were free to visit the private hospitals if they have any issues.
The spokesperson added that the action of the health workers on duty led the aggrieved women to embark on the peaceful protest in a determined bid to draw the attention of the government to their plight.
“We got here and were told no ante-natal care from today, December 22. The nurses announced that from December 22, there will be no antenatal care because it has been closed till January 11.
“We were told that if anyone has issues before January 11, that we should go to a private hospital. They told us it is an order from above,” she said.
However, the State Commissioner for Health, Professor Obehi Akoria said there was a communication gap between the state government and the pregnant women, stressing that the government never barred any of them from using the Central Hospital.
Prof. Akoria, while appealing to them not to be offended, instructed that they should be taken to the hospital with the hospital’s vehicles.
Also, the Medical Director, Central Hospital, Benin, Dr Duncan Iyawe, said that there was ongoing renovation work at the Central Hospital.
The commissioner faulted the nurses on duty, insisting that they should have informed the women of the ongoing work in the hospital and book them for a more convenient date.
While pleading with the aggrieved women to calm down, Iyawe assured them that prompt attention would be given to their demands.
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