From Moses Mkpuma, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, EBSPHCDA has debunked the publication of the Daily Trust Newspaper which stated that the State has recorded the highest Maternal Mortality Rate in the space of Six months.
The Program Manager, of the State Emergency Maternal Newborn and Child Health Intervention Center SEMCHIC of EBSPHCDA, Mrs Augustina Otu made this known to Journalists in a statement she issued in Abakaliki the State capital.
Mrs Otu said "I write about an article in the Daily Trust Newspaper, published on Tuesday 21st of June, 2022 following the one-day training of Health Workers towards the June/July Maternal, Newborn Child Health Week in Ebonyi State. In this article, I was quoted as being a staff Integrated Health Program IHP and maternal mortality in Ebonyi was misquoted as 7014".
"I hereby debunk the statement that I, Mrs Augustina Otu, the Program Manager State Emergency Maternal Newborn and Child Health Intervention Center SEMCHIC of EBSPHCDA, not a staff of USAID-IHP as indicated".
Otu added that the mortality rate as quoted in the said publication is false and should be disregarded.
"Maternal Mortality is calculated following the National Survey and was last updated in the year 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey NDHS which was 512 per 100,000 live birth". She said.
"The State Ministry of Health and State Primary Healthcare Development Agency has been making efforts to see the reduction of maternal, newborn and child mortality in the State. This was exemplified by the establishment of the State emergency maternal, newborn and child Health Intervention Center SEMCHIC in 2020 in which I serve as the Program Manager". Otu added.
She said "the State has embarked on the upon activities like Emergency Transport Scheme ETS which helps in Reducing maternal and perinatal mortality. The State provided Tricycles to the LGAs as ambulances to help transport pregnant women to Health facilities. The USAID-IHP in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health and SPHDA helped to train the National Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW and volunteer drivers in some Selected LGAs in transporting mothers and children in emergency cases, to save lives in the State. The State has also trained Health Workers on quality of Healthcare Management, Basic Emergency Maternal Obstetrics Newborn Care Training BEMONC to help provide skilled birth attendants to reduce deaths of mothers in the state"
The Program Manager concluded by saying that the State is also working with the health partners to create more access to drugs and maternal services.
"His Excellency the Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr David Umahi has provided access roads to most of the health facilities in the State to ease transformation. All these efforts are geared towards reducing maternal deaths in the State" she informed.
