Kunle Adelabu
The management of the General Hospital, Ikorodu, has continued to look for ways of improving health care delivery to thousands of residents, especially in the area of taking Ikorodu out of the bracket of Local Government with the high death rate of mother and child during pregnancy by gathering major stakeholders to discuss ways forward.
Nigeria is currently ranked number two in the world after India in terms of high death rate for pregnancy related deaths.
The forum, tagged, ‘Stakeholder’s meeting on maternal, perinatal and mortality reduction in Lagos State and themed, “Safe mother, Safe baby”, was held within the premises of the Hospital on Thursday, December 3, 2020.
Experts and other stakeholders identified indecision, social influence, economic, inaccessible good health facilities, poor referral system from Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA) and private hospitals to General hospitals as part of the problems causing mother and child death during pregnancy.
It was also resolved that the General hospital needs to cooperate and monitor the activities of the TBA to prevent these deaths.
Dr Taiwo Hassan, the Chief Executive Officer/Medical Director, General Hospital, Ikorodu, setting the tone for the important meeting, stated that the need for the adequate medical care during pregnancy is key for mother and baby.
“This meeting is set up with the aim of raising awareness about adequate access to care during pregnancy, child birth, and post-natal services as well as quality perinatal care.
” The theme, ‘Safe mother, Safe baby’, was carefully chosen in line with the safe motherhood initiative which focuses on the four leading causes of maternal death namely – severe hypertension in pregnancy (High Blood Pressure), Obstetric hemorrhage (Bleeding), maternal sepsis (infection) and venous thromboembolism (clot)”.
The medical expert stated that the gathering was called as part of the Lagos State Government’s efforts to find ways of curbing the maternal mortality rate which Nigeria is ranked second and causing thousands of deaths annually.
“As you are aware that Nigeria is one of the most high-risk places in the world to give birth with a maternal mortality rate of 814/ 100,000 live births (2015), this being the second highest in the world contributing to 14% of annual maternal deaths.
“Common contributing causes in Nigeria include poverty, distance to health facilities, lack of adequate information, inadequate and poor-quality services, cultural beliefs and practices. Most of these deaths are, however, preventable.
“Lagos State Maternal and Perinatal Deaths Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) review was set up by the state government as a platform for critical evidence and as part of its efforts to reduce this alarming maternal and prenatal mortality in the country by putting in place preventive measures.
“The management of this hospital, in its own part, have commenced gradual upgrading of its facilities and thereby providing an enabling environment for staff to work and for client to derive maximum”.
The Permanent Secretary, Health Service Commission, Dr Eniayewun Ademuyiwa Benjamin, speaking at the event, said that adequate care during pregnancy will prevent complications and ensure that mother and child are safe.
“Pre-Pregnancy and pre-natal care can help prevent complications and inform women about important steps they can take to protect their infant and ensure a healthy pregnancy. With regular pre-natal care, women can reduce the risk of pregnancy complications”, he said.
“When mothers are malnourished, ill, or receive insufficient care, their newborns are at increased risk of disease and premature death.
“Coordinating care, from preconception to delivery and the health of the child, can lead to profound benefits for the health and well-being of women and children and improve subsequent pregnancy and child health outcomes.
“To avoid maternal deaths, it is also vital to prevent unwanted pregnancies. All women, including adolescents, need access to contraception”.
Dr Eniayewun, who was represented by Mrs Juan Oluyemi Yetunde, stated that the state government is doing everything to make quality and accessible health service available for the teeming Ikorodu residents.
“Our pledge to you today is that we will deliver qualitative healthcare to the people of lkorodu and its environs to the best of our ability. On this note, we are inviting you to participate in development of Ikorodu General Hospital so as to make your preferred facility better”, he said.
In his keynote address, Dr Imosemi, Chairman, Lagos state Maternal and Pre-natal Deaths Surveillance and Response (MPDSR), while stating that child birth should be an event to be celebrated, deplored the ranking of Nigeria as second country in the world where more mother and child deaths are recorded during pregnancy.
“It is important to take good look at the theme of the stakeholders’ engagement because one of the ways that international community recognizes how strong your health system is, in term of provisions of health services, is by looking at the number of women and newborns that died due to pregnancy complications”, he said.
“These are events that should be celebrated and not mourned.
“Delivery of a newborn has become a risky venture in Nigeria and by the end of today, about 700 newborns would have been lost in Nigeria and about 144 to 150 mothers would have succumbed to pregnancy complications”, he said while revealing the disturbing figures.
“These figures are only second to India and we are very close to overtaken them. That is an alliance that is not good to be associated with”.
Dr Imosemi said that most of the deaths are preventable by doing simple things at the right time. He added that despite the government interventions in Lagos State, death rates of mothers and children due to birth complications are still high.
“In Lagos State, local governments such as Alimosho, Ikorodu, Ibeju Lekki and Ibeju Lekki have very high maternal and perinatal mortality rate.
“Once a woman does well during ante-natal, she is likely to have a healthy baby. If the maternal mortality rate is very high, it is inevitable that the perinatal mortality rate will be high.
He charged the medical experts in Ikorodu General hospital, those in the private hospitals, mothers and other stakeholders to take the challenge as a collective one and ensure that problems associated with pregnancy are curbed in Ikorodu.
“Ikorodu is a very beautiful place and the community is making progress in all ramifications and as such, we want Ikorodu, at the end of this engagement, to start putting in place measures that would ensure that it is out of this bracket of councils with high rate of maternal and perinatal mortality.
He also charged pregnant women to always take quick decision to register in recognized hospital.
The speaker stated that the problems associated with mother and child death due to pregnancy complications can be effectively tackled if stakeholders work together.
He emphasized the need for constant engagement between the General hospital and the Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA) for cooperation and also to work together in combating pregnancy related challenges.
Other speakers at the meeting were Prof. Haruna Ogun, Dr Esiri, Dr Khadijat Shittu, Dr Mayegun and Dr Ademolu Abiola among others.
