Resident doctors worry over high maternal mortality rate in Zamfara

THE Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Federal Medical Centre Gusau Chapter, on Wednesday said they were extremely worried about the high cases of maternal mortality in Zamfara.

The President of the Association, Dr Adesina Adebayo, noted that a recent report on the situation had indicated that 30 pregnant women in the state die daily due to complications during delivery.

“The issue of maternal mortality rate in the state cannot be overemphasized. The current study conducted by the Maternal and Newborn Child Health (MNCH2), an NGO, estimated the maternal mortality rate in Zamfara is 1,100 death per every 100,000 birth.

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“The implications of this is that every day 30 women die of pregnancy-related complications in Zamfara.

“That is why as part of our 2018 health week, we organise a lecture on this, and it would be a lecture that all key stakeholders in the health sector of the state cannot afford to miss,” he said.

Adebayo who briefed newsmen in Gusau on Wednesday on preparations by the association to mark the 2018 Health Week, said the lecture with the theme, “Burden of Maternal Mortality in the North West” will be presented Thursday.

The ARD president also expressed worries over the negative perception of doctors at the hospital, describing it as a mere attempt by the general public to tarnish their image.

“Thi is one of the major issues we are going to discuss at our 10th Annual General Meeting which is scheduled to hold on Friday, 14 December 2018.

“This would be discussed seriously and critically during our 2018 AGM after which our collective resolution on this subject matter will be made available to the management of this center”, he said.

He assured patients patronising the hospital that the resident doctors were  “totally committed towards rendering quality health services to the people of the state.”

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the association plans to hold a medical outreach at Gusau Orphanage and a football match with nurses as part of activities to mark the Health Week.