Agency
The Group General Manager, Ibadan Central Hospital, Mrs Olajumoke Caxton-Martins, has called on the Federal Government to address the migration of doctors and other health professionals abroad as it is impacting the quality of healthcare required by pregnant women.
She noted that the dwindling number of maternal health experts has increased the struggle to get qualified personnel to attend to many pregnant women.
“This would naturally affect infant and maternal mortality, Government should to do more to provide affordable and accessible basic healthcare facilities for pregnant women” she asserted.
Speaking at a health gathering for pregnant women in Ibadan on Wednesday, she said more funds should be provided for the building of basic healthcare facilities.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the gathering was organised by ICH to commemorate its 26th anniversary.
Caxton-Martins said good funding and better working conditions for doctors would save Nigeria from the brain drain menace, which she noted has become a threat to the health sector.
She noted that due to the economic hardship in the country, many pregnant women now find it difficult to feed well and properly nurture the life in them.
Caxton-Martins, therefore, urged the government to come up with special policies that would ease the pains of pregnant women and address some other challenges they face.
She also called on the private sector to join hands with ICH to provide free drugs, food and basic medical services to people in the markets and rural communities.
“Pregnant women and nursing mothers need to feed well to be able to nurture the life in them and the lives they have just given birth to.
“Things are getting astronomically expensive and it is directly impacting on the ability of people to procure drugs.
“So, we ask for intervention. We also look for non-governmental organisations that can help,” she added.
Meanwhile, ICH Branch Managing Director, Dr Kareem Ahmed, said the hospital had been organising the healthcare programme for pregnant women from time to time.
He explained it was meant to educate them on their condition and things they should look out for as pregnant women.
Ahmed urged the government to encourage private health facilities as partners in delivering quality health services.
According to him, this can be achieved by ensuring a steady power supply and other supports to reduce the operational cost of private medical outfits.
One of the participants, Mrs Titilayo Adeloye, while lauding ICH for organising the programme, lamented the high cost of procuring baby products in the market.
(NAN)
The post Health workers’ migration impacting maternal healthcare, expert tells FG appeared first on Healthwise.