How to reduce maternal mortality—Minister

Nigeria’s Health Minister, Professor Isaac Adewole has urged hospitals’ management in Nigeria to create a stay-in room for consultants in the labour wards to help reduce maternal mortality.

Prof. Adewole stated this recently when he visited the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos.
Speaking at the labour ward of the hospital, he said, “there must be a stay-in room here for consultants and that’s how we can reduce maternal mortality. I did that when I was the Head of Department at the University College Hospital, Ibadan.”

The Minister however directed the Chief Medical Director of the hospital to also make internet access and refreshment available for the consultant on duty at the room.

According to him, “that is how the resident doctors can learn or else, there will be no one to take over from us and that is how to make the residency relevant in the country.”

Adding, he said, there should be effective communication between the doctor and the nurses on duty.

“There must be effective communication between the doctors and nurses on duty. In case there is any emergency, the nurse would immediately get in touch with the doctor within 15 minutes.”

According to the statistics by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2014, every day, about 800 women die globally from causes that could have been prevented during pregnancy.

The world health body also said, 99 per cent of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries and are higher in women living in rural areas and poorer communities. More than half of this 99 per cent happen in sub-Saharan Africa.
The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) also said, Nigeria loses about 145 women of childbearing age every day.