Strike bites harder on women seeking antenatal in FCT communities
The ongoing strike by health workers in the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is biting harder, with pregnant women, especially those in rural communities, suffering the worst for it. The women are currently unable to access health centres for antenatal care as they have been shut down as the health workers […]
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The ongoing strike by health workers in the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is biting harder, with pregnant women, especially those in rural communities, suffering the worst for it.
The women are currently unable to access health centres for antenatal care as they have been shut down as the health workers down tools.
Abuja Metro reports that nurses and other medical personnel in the health centres, under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) had, since March, embarked on a strike to demand the payment of backlogs of arrears and other entitlements owed them by the six area councils.
Our correspondent, who has been monitoring the situation, reports that it is becoming a nightmare for pregnant women, not only in the rural areas but also at the area council headquarters, to access antenatal care.
As an alternative, some of the expectant women in some of the rural communities, who spoke with Abuja Metro, said they had to travel to either government general hospitals or private clinics at the area council headquarters to get antenatal care.
Mrs Gloria Danjuma, a pregnant woman from Dafara community under Gaube ward of Kuje Area Council, told our reporter that she had been visiting the General Hospital in Kuje town, which is a distance from her community, for antenatal care.
The woman said she spends not less than N4,300 every Wednesday to take a bike from Dafara village to the General Hospital in Kuje town and to buy food.
According to her, she also pays N2,400 to carry out some tests at the laboratory after being examined by the doctor.
“It has not been easy since the health centre here in Dafara was closed down over a month ago. I have to spend not less than N6,000 to N7,000 every Wednesday to attend antenatal care at Kuje General Hospital,” she said.
Another pregnant woman, Mrs Hawawu Gambo, a resident of Yebu community in Kwali Area Council, said she often travelled by bike to Kwaita to undergo antenatal care due to the closure of the primary health centre in her community.
She said she spends between N5,000 and N6,000 for both feeding and transportation to attend antenatal care at a private clinic in Kwaita every Wednesday.
“The truth is that not every pregnant woman can afford the money to travel by bike to attend antenatal care at either the general hospital in Kwali or a private clinic.
Mrs. Saratu Dangana, another pregnant woman from Riwaza community under Ashara ward of Kwali Area Council, also told our reporter that the community had no functional health centre, and that pregnant women mostly travel to neighbouring Fogbe village to access the health centre there.
She said since the health centre at Fogbe was shut down over a month ago due to the ongoing strike action by the health personnel, she has been finding it difficult to travel to Kwali General Hospital to access antenatal care.
Dangana told our reporter that three women who are her neighbours took the risk of delivering their babies at home with the assistance of a traditional medicine practitioner in the community.
Many women giving birth at home – Health workers
Community Health Workers (CHWs) under the primary health centres disclosed that nine pregnant women have reportedly delivered their babies at home following the shutdown of primary health centres in rural communities.
One of the CHWs, Mr Abednego Musa, who spoke with our reporter, said two pregnant women delivered babies two weeks ago in Riwaza community of Kwali Area Council.
He said the women, who could not afford to access antenatal care in the community, had to resort to traditional practitioners, despite the serious risk, not only to the mother but also to the newborn.
“I can tell you that two women put to bed at home two weeks ago. This happened because some of these rural women could not afford to travel to Kwali or any nearby clinic to access antenatal care. This shows the danger involved in this global era where some women still deliver babies at home,” he said.
He added that, “Apart from Riwaza community, there are also four villages in Kuje Area Council, where my colleague in that area told me that about seven women delivered babies at home through traditional methods.”
Musa, however, said that apart from pregnant women in rural communities who are facing challenges accessing antenatal care, nursing mothers are also facing difficulties.
He said there are a substantial number of children born between the first and second week and between one to five years, who are expected to be immunised, but the shutting down of health centres has affected the exercise.
We must protect pregnant women from complications – Health expert
A community health expert, Mr Jonathan Ayuba Saleh, told Abuja Metro that financial constraints, distance to health centres, transportation and poor health centre infrastructure have further contributed to the challenges faced by pregnant women in rural communities.
He said the shutting down of health centres in rural communities due to the ongoing strike has more adverse effects on pregnant women, warning that some of the women may end up frustrated, experience complications, or even die due to a lack of access to antenatal care.
“The face-off between the health workers and the area council chairmen is unfortunate at this time because the pregnant women are the worst hit, as some of them end up delivering at home, which is a very big risk.
“I am aware that some women who were in labour have been putting to bed at home because they could not access any health centre for antenatal care,” he said.
He advised the authorities of the six area councils to accord priority to the health of their people and provide more personnel at primary health centres to make it easy for pregnant women to access antenatal care.
He added, “Even before now, at least 75% of primary health centres in the FCT rural communities lack manpower. And now that the workers have embarked on strike, you should know that the situation will be worse, especially for the pregnant women.” he added.
Reacting, the chairman of the FCT chapter of the National Association of Nurses and Midwifery (NANAM), Comrade Jamadi Medan, said it was quite unfortunate that primary health centres in rural communities have remained shut due to the ongoing strike by its workers.
He blamed the nonchalant attitude of the six area council chairmen for failing to pay the backlogs of workers’ entitlements, which, he said, led to the closure of the primary health centres in both city and rural communities of the FCT.
Abuja Metro reports that the six area council chairmen had, during a recent press conference, called on the striking workers to suspend the strike and embrace dialogue for prompt settlement of their demands.
Their chairman and chairman of Kwali Area Council, Danladi Chiya and the secretary, John Gabaya of Bwari Area Council, pleaded with workers to consider the interest of the residents and suspend the strike.