‘Nigeria has worst statistics in maternal health care’

By Odogwu Emeka Odogwu,
President elect, Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), Prof Brian Adinma, has said that Nigeria has one of the worst statistics in maternal health care in the world.
Adinma, a Public Health expert and former commissioner for Health, Anambra State, spoke to The Nation in Nnewi on the state of maternal health in Nigeria yesterday.
According to him, “We have one of the worst statistics in the world in maternal health because gynecologists are the bona-fide custodians of women health. Only about 3,000 registered gynecologists operate in Nigeria with a population of over 170 Million. This is nothing to write home about and we have not put ourselves into optimal productivity.’’
He therefore urged young doctors to dedicate themselves to the task of improving modern techniques of medicine.
He also encouraged teaching hospitals and government agencies to invest in modern, sophisticated and affordable equipments in Minimal Access Surgery (MAS) of the Indian company OM surgical, which he said is better than Vmaid equipment now used in teaching hospitals.
He urged more obstetricians and gynecologists to avail themselves of the equipment to better the lives of women in Nigeria.
On the feat of Life Specialist Hospital Nnewi, where doctors are being trained on Minimal Access Surgery (MAS), Adinma appealed to Prof Ikechebelu not to increase the number of trainees to more than 20 at a time but to create more training sessions in a year to enable the participants feel the impact one on one as the difference lies on the hands on. Commenting on the importance of the technology and the training, the Medical Director of Ayo Specialist Hospital, Akure, said, “There are so many modifications in what I have seen today despite that I have done Laparoscopic surgery since 1981. I have ordered for equipment worth 43,000 dollars to set the modern Laparoscopic Surgery Theater in Akure with equipment from OM Surgical Company to be like Prof Ikechebelu.“
I saw there was every need to upgrade my skill and professionalism; that was why I came to Anambra State, Nnewi and I have no regrets doing that because I am now upgraded in skill and practice in Minimal Access Surgery (MAS). It is a blessing coming to Nnewi.

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Posted by AfricaSTI on June 26, 2012. Filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry