Ibrahim Abdullahi
Kano state government says it targets crashing down maternal mortality, not reduction.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf dropped the hint while speaking at the Partners Coordination Forum (PCF) meeting, held in the metropolis.
PCF is an idea conceived by the commissioner to bring into one umbrella all development partners working in the health sector in the state to work cohesively devoid of activity duplication.
The commissioner said Kano state government is committed to transforming health sector looking at up and doing and political will of Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf to that effect in one and a half year renovated many secondary facilities and awarded contracts for the renovation of over 200 primary health centres.
Dr. Labaran stressed that this was in line with government policy to ensuring excellent service delivery in both primary and secondary health facilities, with special consideration to the health of women and children, most especially preventing maternal and neonatal mortality.
He said government is concerned with the statistics which shows over 70% of women in Kano state don’t patronage hospitals during delivery, they rather prefer home delivery by engaging services of the traditional birth attendants, “Because they see delivery in their matrimonial rooms is safer than coming to hospitals to deliver as they lost confidence in getting proper attention.
“It is on that line that we were renovating our hospitals, and making our primary health facilities better. Our intention is to have at least one functional primary health facility in each ward of Kano state.”
The commissioner emphasized that this was part of the preparation of the Kano state government to crashing down maternal mortality, hence the need for proper coordination of the programmes partners undertake to achieve the set goal.
Crashing down, according to Dr. Labaran, means there should be no room for survival of maternal mortality in Kano, saying “Our goal is to drop the menace to zero level. This is simple and achievable if we put our hands together, by Allah’s grace.
“We have the resources. We will get a lot of support from the federal government and the partners. All partners working towards crashing maternal mortality should key in into this project. Our goal is one project, one budget, one outcome.”
The commissioner charged them to be accountable and transparent in the conduct of their activities in the state, assuring that the era where partner would go down to the LGAs, some to even facility level to execute programme and go is no more acceptable in the sight of the present administration.
The meeting ended up with commitments by the partners to supporting Kano state government in its effort to achieve its goal of zero maternal mortality.
