WHY WE TRAINED 1, 936 TRADITIONAL BIRTH ATTENDANTS – GOV. GANDUJE

WHY WE TRAINED 1, 936 TRADITIONAL BIRTH ATTENDANTS – GOV. GANDUJE

Kano state government has trained 1,936 Traditional birth attendants, and presented them with delivery kits worth millions of Naira, as part of attempts to consolidate the administration’s free Maternal and Child Health Care Programme.

Similarly, the government distributed 88 tricycle ambulances to local governments, which would be used for emergency transportation of pregnant women to health facilities.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony of the trainees  held at the Government House in Kano, the state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje explained that the decided to train the Traditional birth attendants because of the essential role they play in supporting women before, during and after child birth, especially in rural communities where health facilities are not readily available.

 

“These traditional birth attendants if not trained may not be able to recognize and respond appropriately to complications of pregnancy and child birth including seeking hospital care”, the governor maintained. 

Governor Ganduje stressed that the training would, therefore, improve their effectiveness in areas such as universal precaution and will increase referral of pregnant women to health facilities.

It will also help the state government in generating data on newly born infants, which in turn will help in tracking vaccination among this age group, expressing optimism that the government’s intervention would have direct and immediate impact in reducing maternal morbidity and mortality in the state.

In his speech, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kabir Ibrahim Getso said the trainees were enrolled in a five – day course that improved their knowledge and skills in such areas as increasing use of antenatal care services and prompt referrals in case of complications.

On the tricycle ambulances, the Commissioner stated that they would be stationed at the Village or ward head’s house, with drivers recruited from the respective communities, for ease of transportation to health facilities. 

Halilu Ibrahim Dantiye, mni, FNGE 

Director General, 

Media and Communications,

to the Exec. Gov. of Kano state, 

23/9/2015