USAID LOGO
From Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki
The United States Agency for International Development - Integrated Health Programme (USAID-IHP) in collaboration with the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA) has called for total support of religious, traditional, youth, women leaders and other stakeholders in sensitizing and dissemination of information about the emergency transport scheme (ETS) to help in tackling maternal and prenatal mortality in Ebonyi State.
This was made known during the stakeholders' meeting held at Osborne La-palm Hotel in Abakaliki, the State capital.
The USAID-IHP through the Integrated Service Supervisor and Quality Improvement Specialist, Mrs Rita Anaba said the Emergency Transport Scheme (ETS) was initiated to tackle the second delay that caused maternal and perinatal mortality in society.
She listed the 3 delays to include: first delay - "the inability of a pregnant woman to identify when there is a problem and make the decision to go to the health facility. The second delay occurs when the pregnant woman has decided to go to a hospital and there is no means of transportation. The third delay is when the woman goes to the hospital and there is a delay in providing services to her."
She noted that the lack of transportation to health facilities by pregnant women has caused a lot of maternal and infant mortality across the State.
According to her, the Ebonyi State government has made a frantic effort by providing ambulances but those ambulances are not working that was why we identified this particular scheme, the emergency transport scheme (ETS) which is the use of commercial drivers who are willing to provide volunteer services
She revealed that USAID-IHP started implementing ETS in the State on July 2022 with five Local Government Areas including Abakaliki, Ishielu, Ikwo, Ezza South and Afikpo South and since then had trained over eighty volunteer drivers.
However, she stated that the drivers have salvaged the lives of over four hundred mothers from death, describing the development as a heavy achievement by the USAID-IHP.
Mrs Anaba who solicited support from government at all levels and well-spirited individuals further called all and sundry to rise to their responsibilities in disseminating information about ETS in all the nooks and crannies of the State while calling on the participants never to relent in spreading information about ETS to attain their set objective of initiating the programme.
One of the participants, Mr Ufopu Ahamefuna Stanley, the Ward Development Committee Chairman of Ohaoffia Ward in Ishielu LGA, said the scheme has recorded success in the council area, saying the scheme is targeted at providing free health services to pregnant women, adults among others.
He added that (ETS) drivers conveyed the people to the nearest health facility and referred them to higher hospitals when necessary.
Ufopu also stressed the need for relevant stakeholders to embrace the scheme and persistently render financial assistance to the drivers and provision of vehicles as he vowed to continue spreading good works of (ETS) in the area and challenged his fellow participants to imbibe the culture of spreading information about the initiative for optimum results.
Another participant, Mrs Orji Egbechi, the Officer in Charge, OIC of Nguzu Health Centre in Afikpo South LGA hinted that the scheme had helped OICs in different health facilities to stimulate their work in terms of referral systems as the volunteer drivers have made their work so easier for them.
She maintained that the programme has reduced maternal and perinatal death in the various facilities drastically and assured her commitment to the programme for more productivity.
The stakeholders' meeting was attended by the Police, Ebubeagu South East Security, Federal Road Safety Corps, OICs, members of the World Development Committee, WDC, and ETS Volunteer Drivers from the state, among others.
