The Bauchi State Government, in partnership with Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT), has engaged 100 health volunteers to serve as skilled birth attendants and work in maternity units across Primary Health Care Centres, to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in the state.
Commissioner of Health, Dr Sani Dambam, stated that the initiative aims to bridge the human resource gap in primary healthcare, while speaking at the orientation ceremony of the newly contracted skilled birth attendants at the PHCB Headquarters, Bauchi.
Dr. Dambam, who was represented by the director of Nursing Sciences of the ministry, Abdulsalam Abubakar, noted that the state government is doing everything possible to improve the health sector, particularly to reduce maternal and newborn deaths among women and children.
He charged the contractors with justifying the confidence reposed in them, saying the state government would not tolerate any misconduct from them in their various places of assignment.
The project manager of IMPACT, Dr. Muhammad Adamu, explained that the orientation defines the SBAs’ roles, responsibilities, and impact on effectively improving maternal and newborn health outcomes in supported facilities.
He said SBAs will manage normal and complicated labour, antenatal care, postnatal care, and family planning services.
Dr. Muhammad Adamu also said the IMPACT project has selected volunteers working in Primary Health Care Centres across the state, comprising Community Health Extension Workers and Midwives, towards reducing the number of maternal and infant mortalities.
He added that the IMPACT has renovated existing accommodations, constructed new ones, and provided solar power and boreholes to PHCs to make the SBAs’ work comfortable and efficient in all aspects.
Speaking earlier, the executive chairman of Bauchi State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Rilwanu Muhammad, represented by the Provost of Aliko Dangote College of Nursing Sciences, Bauchi, Mrs. Rakiya Saleh, urged the SBAs to save the lives of pregnant women and children through their work and to maintain the ethics of their profession.
