Bauchi recruits 100 skilled birth attendants to address maternal mortality
By Samuel Luka
The Commissioner of Health, Bauchi state, Dr Sani Dambam has disclosed that no fewer than 100 volunteer skilled-birth attendants have been engaged by the state government in order to address maternal mortality.
Dr Dambam who stated this while speaking at the orientation ceremony of the newly contracted skilled birth attendants at the PHCB Headquarters, Bauchi, said the initiative is in partnership between the Bauchi state government and Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress, Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT).
Represented by the Director of Nursing Sciences of the Ministry, Abdulsalam Abubakar, the commissioner said that the skilled birth attendants are expected to work in maternity units across Primary Healthcare centres, to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in Bauchi.
He added that the initiative is aimed at bridging the human resource gap in primary healthcare across the state.
The commissioner further noted that the state government is doing everything possible to improve the health sector, particularly to reduce maternal and newborn deaths among women and children.
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While tasking the birth attendants to justify the confidence reposed in them, the commissioner warned that the state government will not tolerate any misconduct from them in their various places of assignments.
In his remarks, the Project Manager of IMPACT, Dr. Muhammad Adamu, explained that the orientation defines the SBAs’ roles, responsibilities, and impact on improving maternal and newborn health outcomes in supported facilities effectively.
He described SBAs will manage normal and complicated labour, antenatal care, postnatal care, and family planning services.
Dr. Muhammad Adamu also said the IMPACT project has selected volunteers working in Primary Health Care Centres across the state, comprising Community Health Extension Workers and Midwives, towards reducing the number of maternal and infant mortalities.
According to him, the IMPACT has renovated existing accommodations, constructed new ones, and provided solar power and boreholes to PHCs to make the SBAs’ work comfortable and efficient in all aspects.
Earlier on, the Provost of Aliko Dangote College of Nursing Sciences, Bauchi, Mrs. Rakiya Saleh who spoke on behalf of the Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Primary HealthCare Development Board, Dr. Rilwanu Muhammad, urged the SBAs to adhere to the ethics of their profession in order to save the lives of pregnant women and children.
