Victor Ohenhen, an Obstetric and Gynecological expert in the Edo state owned Central Hospital, Benin City has urged people to be wary of their religious and cultural practices while seeking for medical attention.
Ohenhen who made the call in an exclusive interview with BusinessDay in Benin-City, said cultural and religious beliefs that does not encourage access to certain healthcare have contributed to deaths of hundreds of Nigerians.
The former Head of Department Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the hospital, who listed blood transfusion as one of the major beliefs, enjoined people to begin seeing blood donation as a voluntary exercise rather than by compunction.
He however, attributed postpartum haemorrhage as one of the leading cause of maternal mortality in the country.
He also identified improved access to blood and short interdelivery interval as cardinal strategies to tackle the scourge of maternal mortality.
The medical expert, also listed other causes of maternal mortality to sepsis or infection, illegal abortion, hypertensive disorder in pregnancy (like eclampsia and preeclampsia), and obstructed labour.
“We must begin to see blood donation as a voluntary exercise. We know that a leading cause of maternal mortality is postpartum haemorrhage and these individuals need blood to sustain their lives.
“Also, if there is effective family planning for adequate spacing, there will be enough time to recover and regain iron depleted during the former delivery.
“Reducing maternal mortality is achievable and it will take a multi sectoral effort. It is not just the health industry alone, there are social determinants of health that must be tackled”, he said.
While calling for the adoption of universal health coverage, he noted that functional blood banks and pregnancy spacing are crucial to the reduction of incidence of maternal mortality.
Ohenhen who remarked that Nigeria contributes substantially to maternal mortality in the world opined that it was feasible to reduce the burden of the incidence.
“Tackling maternal mortality is not limited to the health sector alone but requires multifaceted approach and political willingness for the government to attain and achieve the millennium development goals”, he added.
Ohenhen who lamented the dire state of maternal mortality in the country, however, called on government to embrace the concept of universal health coverage, sustain public health awareness on voluntary blood donation and family planning, as well as unfettered access to medical care and training of medical personnel.
The Obstetrics and Gynaecology expert, who described health as a social responsibility urged government at all levels to start taking health care as a fundamental human right and not paying lip service to it.
“There must be political will to ensure that health continues to be a social service and basic infrastructures must be provided. The government must embrace the concept of universal health coverage and key into health insurance program like the National Health Insurance Scheme. This scheme should be all-encompassing, all-embracing, so that it could be used to cater for the greater mass of the people”, he stated.
IDRIS UMAR MOMOH & CHURCHILL OKORO, BENIN
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