Abia bans traditional birth attendants, fixes more health centers
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By Ugochukwu Alaribe
Abia state government has commenced moves to ban traditional birth attendants from operating in the state following the revitalization of more Primary Health Centers,PHCs, in the 17 council areas.
Governor Alex Otti, who stated this while commissioning the Okpuhu Nkpa and Umuenyere Alayi PHCs, in Bende council area, noted that one of the major causes of maternal mortality is the delivery by unskilled workers, which includes traditional birth attendants.
He disclosed that the revitalization of the two PHCs marks the end of over 24 years of total negligence on the health and welfare of the people, noting that he came to power to change the narratives.
The Governor explained that the revitalization of the two health centers brings the total to 42, while the remaining 8 PHCs will be done in the next week to complete the 50 PHCs billed to be
functionalised this September.
Otti, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, stated that his government is not only building or renovating primary healthcare centres, but also equipping them with world-class healthcare infrastructure.
The Governor also stated that Nigeria contributes to 29% of maternal mortality in the world, and urged the people to patronize the PHCs, stressing that the state government plans to arrest anyone patronizing traditional birth attendants, as well as the attendants themselves.
He said, “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 healthcare service.
“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 staff that have been 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 health care services.
“In these PHCs, you will see multiple multi-parameter monitors that provide state-of-the-art monitoring of the health indices.
“We have the automatic external defibrillator, which is a machine that you can use to shock the heart when there is cardiac arrest. You have auto-analysers.
“You have incubators in the laboratory. You have oxygen cylinders and oxygen delivery devices. And you have state-of-the-art delivery room equipped with first-rate delivery beds and life-support equipment, both the mother and the child.”
He disclosed that approval has been granted for the establishment of an isolation centre at the popular Uzuakoli Leprosy Centre to care for isolation cases.
In their separate remarks, indigenes of Alayi and Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma and the chairman of Bende council area, Deacon Uwabunkeonye Bassey, urged the people of the two areas to own the projects and protect them from vandals.
Also speaking,the Health Authority Secretary of Bende council area, Mrs Glory Ihedigbo and the traditional ruler, Umuenyere Alayi,Eze Ignatious Uche ,thanked the Governor for not only renovating their health facilities in Nkpa and Alayi and assured him of their support.
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