By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has directed the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that pregnant women in public health institutions in the country have access to free ante-natal and post-natal treatment.
This was sequel to a motion on the “Need to Allow Pregnant Women Access Free Medical Treatment From Public Health Institutions”, by Rep.. Mohammed Shehu, on Wednesday at plenary.
Debating the motion, Shehu noted that the nation is grappling with high maternal and infant mortality despite annual budget by the Federal Government to public health institutions to enable them provide health services to citizens, especially to indigent pregnant women.
He also stated that Nigeria is grappling with high disease rates, resulting in an annual maternal mortality rate of expectant mothers and children due to pregnancy complications and the polio virus.
The motion reads: “The 2019 UNICEF report shows that 7.2 million child births are recorded annually, with 262,000 babies dying at birth and 357 dying within the first month, while the birth rate in 2019 was 37.684 per 1,000 people, which represents a decline of 1.09% from 2018, while the birth rate in 2018 was 38.098 births per 1,000 people, representing a decline from 2017, compared to the global average of 18.5 births per 1,000 population in 2016.
“This is regardless of the fact that the government allocates an annual budget to public healthcare institutions to fund healthcare service delivery to the citizens’ particularly pregnant women whose families cannot afford medical
treatment during pregnancy and childbirth.
“The 2019 statistics report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals that the fertility rate in the 2019 population of 200, 963, 599 was 5.67%; in 2018, 195,874,683 represented 5.67%; in 2017, 190,873,244 represented 5.67%; and in 2016, the total population of 186,960,241 represented 5.67% of the fertility rate of childbirth in the country, indicating the need for free medical treatment for pregnant women to boost the country’s fertility rate.”
The House unanimously adopted the motion and mandated its Committees on Healthcare Services and Healthcare Institutions to invite the Minister of Health, Ali Pate to interface with lawmakers over the free treatment for pregnant women in the country and report back within four weeks for further legislative actions.