ASHAKA/Nigeria: Delta State has achieved a remarkable reduction in maternal mortality, cutting figures from over 200 to less than 120 per 100,000 live births, according to the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme.
Onojaeme made the disclosure on Saturday in Ashaka, Ndokwa East Local Government Area, during the flag-off of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII) Project Action Plan. He expressed confidence that the programme would further drive down maternal and child deaths across the state.
The Commissioner commended the dedication of most health workers but disclosed that some had been sanctioned for extorting money from pregnant women and children under five, despite the state’s free healthcare policy for these groups.
“Health workers in the state have done well, but in every twelve, there is a Judas. We have received reports of some collecting money from pregnant women and children under five for drugs, while still forwarding the bills to the government for payment,” Onojaeme said.
He revealed that several workers had been dismissed while others were demoted for such offences, assuring that monitoring would continue to ensure funds released for maternal and child healthcare were judiciously utilised.
The Commissioner reiterated that all pregnant women in Delta State are entitled to free healthcare until delivery, while children under five also receive free medical treatment. He urged residents to report any health worker demanding payment, noting that the phone number of the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Health Monitoring would be made public for such reports.
In his goodwill message, Dr. John Ovuoraye, who represented the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, pledged Federal Government support for states in addressing maternal and neonatal mortality. He disclosed that 172 local government areas across 33 states, including Ndokwa East, Ughelli North, Aniocha North, Udu, and Sapele in Delta, had been identified as high-risk zones.
Ovuoraye explained that the MAMII Project, backed by President Bola Tinubu, is being implemented in partnership with USAID, WHO, UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, and several European partners.
The event also featured the formal presentation of the MAMII plaque to Delta State and the inauguration of a task force to drive the project’s implementation.
