Hundreds Die During Child Birth In Lagos
At least 714 women died during child birth in Lagos public health facilities between 2010 and 2012. The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed this on Wednesday in Lagos.
*A woman and her baby in hospital
Idris quickly added that such tragic births were declining steadily as more women embrace family planning and Caesarian Section.
The commissioner made the disclosure while reviewing the state’s maternal and child mortality programme, aimed at stemming maternal and child mortality in the state.
To buttress his point that there is a reduction in maternal death in the state, the commissioner read out the statistics obtained in public health facilities.
The statistics showed that 318 women died during child birth in public hospitals in 2010 but reduced to 201 in 2011 and further reduced to 195 in 2012, while the statistics for 2013 is still being collated.
Idris said the government is addressing maternal and child mortality by adopting the best practice, explaining that the government had reviewed its progress so far and would not change its strategies as they are yielding the needed result.
“We are addressing the three delays leading to mortality rate. One of such is seeking assistance due to lack of information or poverty. There is also delay in having access to these services and delay in getting the right services. We are addressing these through advocacy and public enlightenment.
“We have gone to the three senatorial districts to sensitise the people to make use of the Primary Healthcare Centres, PHCs. We have gone to Oshodi, Amuwo Odofin, Ibeju Lekki and Surulere to hold stakeholders’ meeting,” he explained.
Idris also said that out of the 20,638 women who gave birth in the state’s public hospitals in the first 10 months of last year, 9,326 of them were delivered of their babies through surgical procedure.
He said 11,312 women had normal delivery, which is the most common, while the rest gave birth through surgery, adding that this has helped to stem maternal and child mortality.
He said the statistics was between January and October, 2013.
Source: Legit.ng
