News Editor
… Trains health workers on use of Anti-Shock garment
From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi
Worried by the high number of maternal deaths as a result of Post Partum Hemorrhage (PPH), the NKST Reproductive Health Unit, Mkar, in Benue State, has trained Community Health Extension Workers on the application of Non-pneumatic Anti Shock Garment (NASG) to prevent maternal mortality
According to the experts, the Non-pneumatic Anti Shock Garment is a fit-for-purpose device that can save Women’s lives through reducing blood loss and stabilizing the women until treatment is available.
The Director NKST Primary Health Care (PHC), Samuel Alyewan, while speaking to the participants on Thursday, at the end of the three-days training in Gboko Local Government Area, said PPH also known as excessive bleeding after childbirth is the highest leading cause of maternal deaths.
He said reports show that about 1046 deaths out of every 100,000 live births is recorded in Benue State ranking next to Katsina in
Nigeria
He described the figures as unacceptable saying “This is an alarming rate. In developed countries it’s just about seven deaths out of out 100,000 live births. If 1000 women are dying out of labour or during childbirth, then it’s alarming. We need those women and we need the children too.”
The Director noted that the deaths could be prevented with timely and effective Maternal health care management and equipment.
Alyewan who stated that PPH requires emergency treatment lamented that most health workers lacked the needed skills to save the lives of women in such situations.
He therefore stated that the training on the use of anti shock garment has equipped the workers with the required skills to reduce to maternal mortality and urged them to go back to their facilities and communities to put their skills to good use and save lives.
“The workshop it very important because it has given them the skills to help the women to get pregnant and deliver safely
The NKST is a faith based organization, established by the missionaries, that is engaged in Primary Health Care services, agriculture , education and spreading the gospel. Currently, the NKST has over 100 PHC facilities spread across Benue State, Taraba and Cross River States.
Alyewan who noted that the NKST is overwhelmed called for support from the governments, good spirited individuals and also local, national and international organizations in the area of equipment, human resources, infrastructural upgrade to enable them step up their services.
Earlier, the Coordinator NKST Reproductive Health, Sarah Ingbian said the training was to equip the workers on how to apply and remove Non-pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment (NASG) and also train them other skills needed to prevent others causes of maternal deaths.
She said the organization called for the training because the device has been introduced as one of the essential equipments for managing maternal and child health and being a component of reproductive health, it became imperative that their staff should be equipped with the skills to help reduce maternal mortality.
She said WHO reports shows that Nigeria is the third country with the highest maternity mortality and in Nigeria, Katsina and Benue state are among the states contributing the highest maternal mortality rate.
She said the trainees were put through causes of maternal deaths, causes and management post Partum Hemorrhage, how to use and remove the NASG device when it occurs. While disclosing that the training would be expanded for more workers urged the them to use their new knowledge to improve on the services in their facilities.
The NKST Reproductive Health coordinator appealed to the State Government and other International bodies to help supply these facilities with The Anti shock Garment (NASG) to enable them reduce maternal deaths in the rural areas.
Some of the trainees who spoke to our correspondent; Godwin Yina, Athanasius Shaayange, Dorcas Abue and Joyce Anikpa, appreciated the NKST Reproductive Health Unit for the training pledging not just to put it to good use but to also step down the skills to their colleagues so that together they can safeguard the lives of pregnant mothers in Benue state.
They also pleaded that they need these NASG in their health centers.
The participants were drawn from NKST PHC facilities from eight Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state including Gboko, Katsina-Ala, Guma, Ukum, Vandeikya, Konshisha among others.
