By Yakubu Salisu
The Kano State Government has expressed worry after a study showed only three, out of ten pregnant women give birth in hospitals in the state.
The state Commissioner of health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, who made the disclosure on Monday in Kano said, this development contribute to the wide and high record of maternal morality recorded in the state.
He said, “Only three (3) out of ten(10) and thirty (30) out of one hundred (100) pregnant women deliver in the hospitals according to the report we have”.
Labaran, added that, the state government is disturbed considering the huge investment in the health sector by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf who has shown special interest in healthcare delivery system of the state.
“We are disturbed by these figures, Kano’s maternal mortality rate is unacceptable. We must all come together to combat it”.
“So much has been spent by this government in a bid to providing qualitative healthcare services as such, we must encourage our women to come to hospitals. The time has passed where you keep women at home for delivery”.
“We are yet to fully understand why some men still prefer to keep their wives at home during childbirth in this era, but we want to assure them that we have equipped our hospitals to cater for them.
“Only a certified medical doctor can handle complications from childbirth. No matter how healthy and strong a woman is, she needs to be placed under medical care during childbirth. We are calling on our people to support us in changing these figures drastically “, he added.
The Commissioner further assured the Abba Kabir’s administration commitment to providing good healthcare services geared towards saving lives and better living.
Recall that groups such as Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education CHRICED have severally called on the Abba’s government to enact the free maternal and child health care law in the state which addresses the problem.