From: Ali Abare, Gombe
The Gombe State Government said it has built a women and children hospital worth one billion naira in a bid to tackle the high rate of maternal and newborn deaths.
Commissioner of Health, Dr. Kennedy Ishaya, disclosed this, on Tuesday, at the official launch of the Mamaye Campaign in Gombe.
Dr. Ishaya explained that the hospital, the first of its kind in the north east political zone was built at the cost of N500m while equipment at the facility cost the state another N500m.
While decrying the alarming maternal and newborn deaths in the zone, the health commissioner said the Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo administration has taken appropriate steps to tackle the issue.
“Statistics have shown that the North East is losing women and children over preventible issues. The situation is not that bad in Gombe State because of the steps taken by the government, he said.
He disclosed that Governor Dankwambo has tremendously expanded health facilities, trained more skilled health workers as well as created the enabling physical space towards providing quality healthcare for pregnant women and children.
Dr. Ishaya disclosed further that at the time he was appointed commissioner, he met only 177 nurses and midwives manning the 22 secondary health facilities across the state.
He said however that the state government is currently training over 1000 nurses and midwives.
He also commended Governor Dankwambo for upgrading the state owned School of Nursing in Gombe as well as the School of Laboratory Techonology Kaltungo to colleges of nursing and laboratory technology respectively.
The commissioner disclosed that plans are underway to elavate the College of Nursing Gombe to a monotechnic to allow for the training of more skilled workers in the health sector.
He assuredMamaye, as well as all other development partners in the state, that government would provide enabling environment to succeed in the quest to better the lives of the people of the state.
Speaking at the event, Country Director for Mamaye in Nigeria, Dr. Tunde Shegun said Mamaye is currently running similar campaigns in five other African countries with a view to rising the public’s expectation of maternal and newborn survival.
Represented by Mrs. Fola Richie-Adewusi, the Mamaye country director reemphasised that the organisation uses evidence to drive advocacy as well as drive accountability in public expenditure towards efficient use of resources.
“Mamaye is not a project but a campaign that every one is expected to play a role. The key issue in Mamaye is keeping MNH in the spotlight”, the country director said.
While decrying the high rate of maternal and newborn deaths in the north east, Dr. Segun commended the Gombe State government for initiating projects aimed at mitigating the issue.
He also urged the state government to put more effort in the bid to safe the lives of pregnant women and children.
The 2014 World Health Organisation (WHO) report pegs maternal mortality rate in Nigeria as 560 deaths per 100, 000 live births, with the north east having the highest maternal mortality rate of 1, 549.
The north east also has the highest death rate of under five children with 260 pet 1000.