Expert calls on Govt on building more maternal, child centres

The president, National Association of Resident Doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr. Afolabi Akinkunmi has raised an alarm over the impact of economic recession on maternal health, saying many expectant mothers at the point of delivery do not have access to needed health care.

New Telegraph reports that to this end, Dr Akinkunmi called on the three tiers of government to make provision for free maternal and child services especially for middle and low income earners.

Similarly, he urged governments to establish more maternal and child centres across the nation. He made the statement at the 10th CS-Media Forum titled ‘Overcoming the Challenges of Maternal Death during Recession in Nigeria, organised by Development Communications (DEVCOMs) Network in Lagos.

Some of the areas that may have poor health facilities with teeming population include areas like Badagry, Mowe, Ibafo, Agbara, all in Lagos State.

He said, “Lagos State Gvernment should have more of these primary health care, PHC, centres because of high population,” adding that he rural areas need more of maternal child centres.”

He therefore rec ommended that all the three tiers of government should be partakers in care provision to overcome economic recession on maternal death.

He pointed out that the challenge of accessing this healthcare services by pregnant mothers occur at odd hours when there was no money in conveying expectant mothers and in the course of the delay , the expectant mother end up getting their babies delivered on the way.

Akinkunmi reasoned that the highlighted problems on maternal health was felt more in rural areas and in the outskirts of Lagos, where the challenge of maternal death was high because of the deplorable state of the economic recession.

Source: New Telegraph