Edith CHUKU
Worried by the high rate of maternal deaths of women and children in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, a human rights activist is begging the federal and state government to rehabilitate the Primary Health Centres in the LGA.
Mr. Henry Eferegbo, who is also a native of the LGA also charged the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, and the oil corporations working in Emohua to invest in the health sector in order to safe human lives.
Eferegbo who spoke with TNN in an exclusive interview blamed the incessant cases of maternal mortality rate on the non-functionality of health centres in the LGA, apart from the one recently built by the chairman, Dr. Chidi Lloyd.
He charged the government, NDDC and oil corporations to as a matter of urgency commence the immediate rehabilitation of health centres in Emohua.
“I wish the government will take this very seriously. 99.9 of the hospitals, primary health centres in Emohua Local Government Area none is functional and the women who try to give birth go to traditional birth attendant to give birth.
“Luckily the local government chairman just built a hospital recently inside the council but some communities are still far because Emohua is a fast local government, so government should take this very seriously and see how to rehabilitate these health centers.
“These dilapidated health centres are very key to ensure that our mothers deliver safely because women are dying and children are dying for minor sicknesses that could be handled.
“It’s key that Rivers State government, the federal government, the NDDC and the oil corporation working in the local government should see what they could do to invest in the health sector to safe human lives.”
Eferegbo blamed the high rate of death of women and children on their inability to “access any hospital, the only hospital you could see is UPTH which is far away.
“Imagine a woman in complex situation transporting her and how many people even have cars? You use Okada or what to transport her before you even get a car the woman is dead, so that’s why the World Health Organization also prescribed that there are distances where hospital should be set so that people can easily go in and this we should adhere to and see how to bring hospital closer to the people so that they can access health care and I think that it will help to prolong lives.”
