It has come to light that Nigeria ranks among the highest in maternal mortality rate in the world. In this day and age, when health issues especially the mother and child health related issues are taken for granted in less endowed countries even in Africa, Nigeria is said to be recording 52,000 cases of maternal deaths annually.
A child health expert, Dr. Theresa Ekwere was quoted as saying that about 52,000 Nigerian women lose their lives annually during childbirth. She made this figure known in Lagos recently, at a Women Empowerment and Safe Motherhood Seminar organised by the Women's wing of the Uhueze Nenwe Welfare Association, Lagos Branch.
The medical practitioner said that most of the victims of the maternal deaths were people between the ages of 15 and 45 years, who are at the peak of the productive years. She disclosed that Nigeria has the second highest rate of maternal mortality in the world, behind India, the second most populous nation on earth.
Dr. Ekwere who works at the Chevron Hospital in Gbagada, Lagos, also identified some of the problems as lack of health facilities close to the people, high cost of treatment in hospitals which many poor people could not afford, and poor quality services by the few available hospitals close to the poor people.
She pleaded with the government to show more commitment to the health needs of the people, improve the welfare of health workers and provide necessary infrastructure for effective performance. Dr, Ekwere also advised women to shun abortions so as to avoid unnecessary loss of their lives in the process. She reportedly pointed out that the worst hit are the rural women who have to trek long distance before reaching medical facilities, a situation which could spell doom in case of emergency.
We are pained that Nigerian governments are never ashamed by this scandalous statistics, which are reeled out always by foreign donor agencies, NGOs, medical doctors and other stakeholders. In spite of huge resources we have earned from oil and internally generated revenues, Nigeria is regarded as the second in world record on maternal mortality.
The authorities are only concerned with their pockets and the welfare of their families while common citizens of this country die in droves daily from preventable diseases and child birth issues. What does it take to make health facilities available and cheap for the common people, order than providing Health Centre at the rural areas to take care of less complex health issues like anti natal cases?
Instead of doing that, they would prefer embarking on bogus projects, which they normally abandoned after using it as a conduit-pipe to siphon public funds. But when they have simple headache or cold, they scamper abroad to treat themselves with public funds or ill-gotten wealth.
It is indeed a shameful thing to observe that in the whole of Africa, Nigeria is ranked number one in poor health issue like maternal mortality. Other less endowed African nations are better than us. This is an indication that Nigeria has gone far off on issues of corruption, since it is clear that it is due to corruption that money meant for medical and other social welfare schemes are pocketed by heartless Nigerians charged with providing such facilities.
It is time to have a change of heart by those who have found themselves in positions of trust. It is also time for the common people to ask questions and demand answers from those who claim to be representing them in government. It is equally time to have free, fair and credible elections so that those chosen to represent their people can be held accountable. Things must change in this country for us to have a better society.
No comments:
Post a Comment