The Kaduna State Ministry of Health has decried shortages of Midwives in health facilities of the state.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Mohammed-Baloni disclosed this on Monday in kaduna during the celebration of International Day of Midwives.
Mohammed-Baloni said the celebration was done to emphasise the importance of Midwives who were front line health workers that were considered as skilled birth attendants.
She added the midwives were always available and coordinated operation of whom could significantly change the narrative of high maternal and new born deaths.
Mohammed-Baloni said the 2021 theme ” follow the Data, invest in Midwives” was aimed to remind the government at all levels, donor agencies, development partners and other local and international organisations to check availability and achievements of Midwives.
She added it also reminded them to take appropriate actions to address any gap, thereby improving performance and coverage of Midwives in the provision of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal,Child and Adolescent health.
Accordiing to him, the number of midwives currently working in the state secondary health care facilities was 997 instead of the required minimum 1,466.
He said the number was inadequate considering the over 31 health facilities in the state.
“This is even worst with availability of midwives at Primary Health Center level as less than 50 per cent of PHC facilities have the presence of Midwives.’’
Baloni said, the state Governor has already given a standing approval of recruiting Human Resources for Health (HRH) whenever there is a gap.
“In the year 2020 the ministry wanted to recruit 150 nurses / Midwives but could only get 84 due to general shortage of this category of Staff.
“Therefore production of HRH is considered a necessity. The government has therefore established two additional state owned college of nursing and midwifery campuses; Kaduna and Pambeguwa campuses in addition to the campus at kafanchan.’’
She added that with the recent accreditation of all the campuses, the ministry is expecting at least 300 new admissions every year.
“Our children are also prepared to take up nursing and midwifery profession by introducing a programme called,” Foundation year Programme”.
“In this programme fresh secondary school graduates who have one or two deficiency in the required subjects are subjected to rigorous training in all basic science and in introduction to nursing principals and practice.’’
The commissioner also said community midwifery had been introduced recently at Kaduna and Kafanchan campuses.
“The requirements for admission are not as stringent as in regular nursing and midwifery.
“With only three credits one can be admitted. However the admission is tied to a letter from the Chairman of LGA of the prospective student, introducing the student and assuring the college that she would be absorbed after training.
“This is to ensure that the gap in midwives that is prominent at PHC level is gradually filled up.
“This is part of the ministry’s long plan for Human resource for health. In the interim the state had adapted the task shifting and task sharing policy two years ago.
“The policy permits certain task of midwives to be shared or shifted to Senior Community Health Extension Workers (SCHEW) who are available in all the PHC facilities. The implementation of this policy is pending adequate availability of midwives.’’
She said investing in Midwives entailed investment in quality of midwifery care around the world, thereby improving Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent health in the process.
