By Stanley Onyekwere
In a bid to ensure sustainable reduction of maternal mortality in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its neighbouring communities, the FCT Administration has inaugurated the Maternal Death Review Committee.
Inaugurating the committee in his office, the Secretary FCT Health & Human Services Secretariat (HHSSS), Dr. Demola Onakomaiya, said the Maternal Death Review is a qualitative, in depth analysis of circumstances surrounding each maternal death in a health facility to determine its preventability and then make appropriate recommendations to address them to ensure no mother dies from such factors again.
According to a statement by the Head, Public Relations Unit HHSS, Badaru Salisu Yakasai, yesterday, the Secretary disclosed that the review at its initial pilot phase would cover Nyanya, Bwari and Kwali General Hospitals and 3 Primary Health Care Centres feeding into the selected secondary health facilities. The review will also be community based using the immediate communities served by the three primary health Centres in collaboration with the FCT Primary Health care Board.
He further disclosed that as part of effort to stem the tide of the unacceptably high Maternal Mortality Rate in Nigeria, the Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), in collaboration with other stakeholders especially Federal Ministry of Health presented a memo on Maternal Death Review to the National Council on Health in 2013, which unanimously adopted and it is now being institutionalized across country.
Responding on behalf of the Committee members, the chairman of the Committee, Dr. Felix Orbih, thanked the FCTA, for the confidence reposed on them, and promised to work tirelessly to achieve the desired goal.
