Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has announced a decisive ban on the use of traditional birth attendants and other uncertified practitioners as part of efforts to curb maternal mortality, warning that anyone caught engaging in the practice will be arrested.
Governor Otti, who issued the warning while functionalizing the Okpuhu Nkpa and Umuenyere Alayi Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Bende LGA, said that with the additions, 42 PHCs have been made operational under the Project Ekwueme initiative, with the remaining eight expected to follow within the week.
Governor Otti, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, said the decision became necessary after statistics showed that Nigeria contributes 29 percent of global maternal mortality due to unsafe childbirth practices.
“One of the major causes of maternal mortality is delivery by unskilled workers and that includes traditional birth attendants who have not been trained and certified to provide that level of health care service.
Abia State Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche
“And so, the government has reached a decision that with the functionalization of the PHCs and with the huge investment in the healthcare sector, our women now have places that have been equipped and staffed with the quality of personnel trained and certified to handle deliveries.
“They (traditional birth attendants) therefore do not have the requisite skills for safety in the handling of maternal and child healthcare services,” the Governor stated.
He said that the State Government is considering incentives for attendants who refer pregnant women to certified facilities and assured that his administration would continue to drive excellence in healthcare service delivery and make global best practices accessible to residents of the state.
Governor Otti noted that the newly equipped PHCs were built to world-class standards, complete with multi-parameter monitors, automatic external defibrillators, auto-analysers, incubators, oxygen cylinders, and modern delivery beds.
The Governor also announced approval for the establishment of an Isolation Centre at the historic Uzuakoli Leprosy Centre to manage infectious disease cases.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity and an indigene of Alayi, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, said the community would ensure the facility was protected.
“Our people stood by Dr Otti during the struggle and today we are excited that he is keeping to the promise he made to us,” Ekeoma said.
Special Adviser to the Abia State Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma,
The Mayor of Bende LGA, Deacon Uwabunkeonye Bassey, disclosed that 16 PHCs were being renovated in the area and urged residents to take ownership of the projects to secure their sustainability.
The Executive Secretary of the Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Ulu Kalu Ulu, and his counterpart at the Abia State Health Insurance Agency, Dr Chiedozie Egwuonwu, also urged residents to register under the state’s community-based social health insurance scheme to access affordable healthcare.
Community leaders, including the Health Authority Secretary of Bende LGA, Mrs Glory Ihedigbo; the Traditional Ruler of Umuenyere Alayi, Eze Ignatius Uche, and the Vice President of the Umuenyere Alayi Development Union, Mr Akachukwu Okorie, commended the Governor for upgrading their health facilities and pledged their continued support for the Otti-led administration.
