By Peter Dansu The Lagos State Government has held a crucial stakeholders meeting at the General Hospital in Badagry, bringing together he...
By Peter Dansu
The Lagos State Government has held a crucial stakeholders meeting at the General Hospital in Badagry, bringing together health workers, traditional birth attendants, and community leaders to tackle the disturbing rise in preventable deaths among pregnant women and newborns.
The meeting, organised through the Ministry of Health, followed the review of the 2024 report on maternal and perinatal deaths. The findings placed Badagry as the second highest in the state, prompting urgent conversations on how to reverse the trend.
Addressing the gathering, the Medical Director of the General Hospital, Dr Oluseyi Adesola, said the hospital’s records represented only a small fraction of what was happening within the communities. He stressed that many of the underlying causes of these deaths were rooted outside the hospital system and required community-wide action.
Dr Adesola appealed to all traditional birth attendants and community influencers present to work closely with the hospital so that the narrative of maternal and infant deaths in Badagry can be changed for the better.
The Ministry of Health delegation was led by Dr Nurudeen Onaolapo, who explained that the state was on a fact-finding mission to encourage stronger collaboration among local actors. He said the fight against maternal and perinatal deaths would only succeed if communities themselves took ownership of the efforts.
Representing the Medical Officer of Health for Badagry Local Government, Apex Nurse Abosede Aina warned TBAs to properly follow up on every woman referred to the hospital for delivery. She noted that some women still struggle to accept referrals, sometimes pleading with primary health centre staff to avoid being sent to the hospital, a situation that often worsens complications.
The Director of Clinical Services and Training at the hospital, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr Akinwunmi Akinyemi, revealed that monthly MPDSR reviews have shown a frightening pattern. Many pregnant women arrive at the hospital without prior antenatal care and in severe conditions that could have been avoided.
Also speaking, the Head of Paediatrics Department, Dr Enem Udoh, described the challenges her team faces, including the alarming fact that eight out of every 10 babies brought to the unit after delivery are already severely asphyxiated. She condemned harmful practices such as beating newborns or pouring hot water on them to force them to cry, emphasising that such acts endanger their lives.
A traditional birth attendant, Mrs Abosede Fasinu, urged hospital and PHC staff to follow up on women who present in critical condition to better understand the underlying issues contributing to their complications.
At the end of the meeting, all stakeholders agreed to take the message back to their communities. They highlighted the need to discourage harmful traditional and religious practices and encourage pregnant women to seek early and proper medical care to safeguard their lives and those of their babies.
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