As Bauchi State healthcare centres continue to wallow amid a dearth of professional midwives and birth attendants, about 872 women died of maternal and perinatal clinical conditions between July to December 2022.
The deaths, WikkiTimes learnt were recorded in about 123 health facilities across the state.
Jummai Inuwa, the Focal Person of Bauchi State’s Maternal and Perinatal Deaths Surveillance Review (MPDSR) disclosed this in Bauchi.
Inuwa said Bauchi State MPDSR recorded 56 maternal and 816 perinatal deaths from July to December 2022. The MPDSR data is from 123 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and 20 general hospitals; 31 maternal and 330 perinatal deaths were reviewed within the stipulated period.”
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To her, the general hospital in Toro recorded 14 maternal deaths, Ningi 11 and Azare six, adding that Toro recorded 162 perinatal deaths, Ningi 111 and Misau 106.
The focal person also said that some measures to be employed to reduce the burden include access to antenatal care, post-abortion care, task shifting and sharing, among others.
Dr Isiaka Alhasan said a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2022, indicated that Bauchi’s health indices were poor; hence, the need for an in-depth conversation on doing the right thing for quality medicare.
MPDSR is a form of continuous surveillance that links the health information system and quality improvement processes from local to national levels, which includes routine identification, notification, quantification and determination of causes and avoids ability of all maternal and perinatal deaths, as well as the use of such information to respond with actions that will prevent future deaths.
The Pause and Reflection Meeting is organised quarterly by the Integrated Health Programme (IHP) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to ascertain activities, and identify issues and recommendations to expedite action in health and education sectors in the state.
