The Chief Medical Director of Ibadan Central Hospital (ICH), Dr Muyiwa Bewaji, has described Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate of 576 per 100,000 births as worrisome, saying government at all tiers and stakeholders in the health sector must explore urgent measures to checkmate the development.
He maintained that no pregnant woman should die of preventable ailments if necessary medical care and facilities are provided by both public and private health centres.
Bewaji made these disclosures while speaking on the sidelines of the sensitisation workshop and prize-giving programme organised by ICH to appreciate patients of the hospital, most especially expectant mothers.
At the event, which was part of the activities commemorating the 25th anniversary of the hospital, over 500 pregnant women received post-natal materials and gifts.
Bewaji stated: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says the “latest figures show a maternal mortality rate of 576 per 100,000 live births, in Nigeria, the fourth highest on earth. Each year, approximately 262,000 babies die at birth, the world’s second-highest national total. Infant mortality currently stands at 69 per 1,000 live births.
According to him, “The purpose of inviting our pregnant women is to celebrate what we call health gathering and it is a bi-annual programme. We organise this programme to appreciate pregnant women in Oyo State, particularly in Ibadan and its environs. Of course, the reason why we chose pregnant women is because we understand the role of mothers in society and we want to stress and emphasise the importance of maternal and aged care in society.
“We do this twice in a year and sensitise pregnant women on the importance of antenatal care and what to expect in pregnancy. We have in a kind, indoctrinated this place and the need to go in terms of taking care of their children when giving birth to.
“During the programme, we appreciated the pregnant women by giving them goods. This year’s edition is to mark our 25th anniversary and we are going to have another section for children, which is coming up next week. This is for children who were born in Ibadan Central Hospital over a decade ago.
“We have over 500 pregnant women present at the event today in attendance. We have given them items such as baby centre, baby wardrobe, hanger, flask, house utensils, “Bewaji posited.
He, however, underscored the need for sensitisation, focused on antenatal health care among other things towards reducing the maternal mortality rate in the country, saying “we should encourage and invite our pregnant women time to time and sensitise them and emphasise the importance of antenatal care to them and the role of pregnancy care”
The general manager of the hospital, Olajumoke Caxton-Martins, described the event as a way of giving back to society, adding that maternal mortality is still high in Nigeria, which necessitates the education of expectant mothers.
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