Taraba Now Set To Tackle Maternal, Neonatal Deaths, Fully Activates MAMII
By Lynn Adda
The Five day implementation design workshop aimed at addressing maternal and neonatal mortalities in Taraba State through awareness creation and stakeholders commitment came to a close this Friday in Jalingo, the state capital.
The workshop concluded with the presentation of the MAMII implementation design suite for Taraba State as well as stakeholders commitment.
The final day event was held at the Kofai Primary Health Care Centre, Kasuwa Bera, ATC in Ardo-Kola Local Government Area of the state.
During the five days, the participants, made up of officials from the Federal and Taraba State Ministries of Health, Health Educators, Partners, Donor Agencies and traditional leaders among others discussed, went to the field, visited communities, health facilities to identify the key drivers of maternal mortalities in Taraba State.
At the end, the team sat, identified the challenges, brainstormed and proffer solutions that will crash maternal mortalities in Taraba State.
Addressing the gathering, the SWAp Team Lead from the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Amos Tella, said they have come up with an action plan, which if implemented under the Sector Wide Approach principles will be able to address maternal mortalities in Taraba State.
He said some of the new initiatives in the approved Taraba State plan are already being implemented by the Federal Government, which will drastically reduce maternal deaths and improve maternal health.
Dr Amos Tella
According to him, one of the commitments in the plan is the free ceaserian section introduced by the present administration and that no woman should die while giving birth.
Dr Amos Tella added that pregnant women are also expected to be pre-rolled into a health insurance scheme as they are not supposed to pay for their health services.
While encouraging pregnant women to ensure they deliver at health facilities to for adequate care for themselves and their babies, he said free baby kits are also provided in such centres.
To those who are attending antenatal services, he assured that free food supplements to improve the well being of the pregnant women and their babies will also be made available at the centres.
“So I am urging you people that with these commitments, we believe that we will be able to fight maternal mortality in Nigeria. I am urging you people to please attend antenatal care because if you come to the health facility, your pregnancy will be taken care of, your baby will be monitored so that if there is any problem, it will be rectified and you will deliver safely. And there are women here who have benefited from the free ceaserian section and they will come out and testify how they got these services for free”.
While the representative of Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Alexander Dachung Bitrus, promised that the Ministry will provide leadership, policy direction and coordination among others, Mrs Fatima Chiroma of the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Systems, said ambulances and other means of transportation will be provided to convey pregnant women from their destinations to the nearest health facilities free of charge, saying the telephone numbers of the personnel who will be in charge of the services will be provided in the localities to address any form delays.
Dr Alexander Dachung Bitrus
Mrs Fatima Chiroma
The Executive Secretary of the Taraba State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, Pharmacist Jacob Akenzukpi, stressed that Governor Agbu Kefas has already mandated the Agency to provide adequate services to the people, saying ” in my Agency, money is there, we are waiting for the people to provide services, assuring that the Agency will prioritize the the Five Local Government Areas that have been chosen for the MAMII programme.
The Taraba State Coordinator of the National Primary Health Care Department Agency,, the UNICEF representative and other partners, pledged their commitment to the success of the initiative in Taraba State.
The Chief of Sanwi Chiefdom, Dr Haniel Henlenwheni Banti, who spoke on behalf of the traditional rulers, commended Governor Agbu Kefas for providing the support to address the challenges of maternal and neonatal deaths, assuring that the traditional institution will provide the necessary awareness and support to ensure that MAMII does not fail in Taraba State.
On his part, the Chairman of Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, Hon Ismaila Zakari, promised that the Local Government Council will equally give the required support for the success of the initiative, encouraging pregnant women to always visit health centres for medical attention.
He advised the people to complain to their Councillors in the event of poor services at the healthcare facilities for necessary government action.
Hon Ismaila Zakari
Speaking at the event, the Taraba State Commissioner of Health, Dr Bordiya Buma, restated the commitment of Governor Agbu Kefas to the full implementation of the MAMII initiative in Taraba State.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Harmony Chufor, the Commissioner said with the activation of the MAMII initiative, maternal and neonatal mortalities will be a thing of the past in the state when the project fully takes off.
Dr Harmony Chufor
He appealed to health workers especially the frontline staff to seize the opportunity to work tirelessly, saying all the pregnant women would be identified wherever they are leaving so that no one can die during pregnancy or child birth.
“We will ensure that they come to hospitals and deliver where specialized people have been employed to take care of them.
“The Governor of Taraba State, Dr Agbu Kefas is committed to this project and that is why we are activating it today. If not because of him, we would not be here. He is committed and ready to support the programme to the last limit so that our mothers will not die during pregnancy or child birth “.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Taraba State Coordinator of the Primary Health Care Department Agency, Dr Tukura Nuhu thanked all those who contributed to the success of the five day programme.
Dr Tukura Nuhu
He specifically acknowledged the support and assistance of the officials from the Federal and Taraba State Ministries of Health, Partners, Donor Agencies, Community and Religious Leaders among others.
Dr Tukura Nuhu stressed the need for teamwork among the facility workers and the importance of good conduct and behaviours towards the pregnant women, saying the attitude of some of the staff usually scare patients from coming to the facilities.
He used the forum to appeal to the traditional rulers to always mobilise and support immunization exercises in their localities to ensure more successes.
The Executive Secretary who condemned the illegal erection of shops in front of the Kofai Primary Health Care Centre, also called on the District Head of Kofai, the Ardo-Kola Local Government and the State Ministry of Works to intervene by removing the structures to make the facility more visible to the public.
The Taraba State MAMII Focal Person, Mrs Joyce Madanga, outlined the five delays that usually leads to maternal and neonatal deaths.
Mrs Joyce Madanga
They include delays in taking decisions of going to the health facility, delay on how to get to the health facility, delay in the commencement of treatments, delay sometimes in making money available for the treatment and delay in making referrals.
Mrs Joyce Madanga however, said the good news is that some of the challenges will be addressed through the MAMII initiative.
The Taraba State SWAp Desk Officer, Pharmacist Reuben Nwunuji also presented the list of the membership of the MAMII Special Task Force Committee headed by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Bordiya Buma.
Pharmacist Reuben Nwunuji
Echo Express findings showed that the Task Force is saddled with the responsibility of total and successful implementation of the MAMII initiative in the state.
The Five Local Government Areas in Taraba State where the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiative, MAMII, a Federal Government initiative has been activated include Ardo-Kola, Zing, Lau, Gashaka and Ussa.
