ADDRESS GROSS INADEQUATE HEALTH PERSONNEL EBONYI PHCs—EXPERTS BEG GOVT

REPORTER: AMECHI ODO

Ebonyi State Government says it is committed to reducing the maternal mortality rate in the state, which presently stood at 512 deaths per 100,000 births as published in the 2018 National Health Demographic Survey (NHDS).

The Programme Manager, Emergency Maternal New Born and Child Health Intervention of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mrs. Augustina Otu, stated this in Abakaliki.

She claimed that interventions by the state government and partners had given pregnant mothers unfettered access to medical services at Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs), a development that had helped in reducing prolonged labour and other complications.

She urged the people of the state not to rely on indicators not published on the National Health Demographic Survey, noting that Emergency Transport Scheme, development of rural roads and partnership with commercial drivers had ensured that pregnant mothers in labour were rushed to PHCs timely unlike what obtained in the past.

However, the Director Monitoring and Evaluation Ebonyi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mr. Leonard Alegu, said despite stability in maternal mortality rate, human resources at the primary health sector had continued to pose a challenge to quality health service delivery.

He appealed to the state government to recruit more nurses as the 80 adhoc staff recently engaged through Basic Health Care Provision Fund were inadequate.

A Gender Issue Expert, Ms Nkiru Okeke, described as pathetic the experience of pregnant mothers at PHCs due to inadequate manpower and called on the state government to approve urgent recruitment of workers in the health sector to save more lives.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU