The Kaduna State Ministry of Health has expressed concern over shortage of midwives in health facilities in the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Mohammed-Baloni, made the state government’s position known on Monday in Kaduna at an event to mark 2021 International Day of the Midwife (IDM) with the theme “Follow the Data, Invest in Midwives.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that IDM is annually marked on May 5 around the globe to highlight the important roles nurses and midwives play in national development.
It is also a day to highlight key issues affecting the health workforce. This year’s international day of the midwife focuses on rising spate of violence against women and girls.
The commissioner, who said that the IDM was also to emphasise the importance of midwives who were on the frontline and considered skilled birth attendants, noted that “midwives are always available to coordinate operations and deliveries and can change the narrative of high maternal and new born deaths.”
Mohammed-Baloni said the 2021 theme was to remind government at all levels, donor agencies, development partners and other local and international organisations to check availability and achievements of midwives.
She added that the number of midwives currently working in the state secondary healthcare facilities was 997 instead of the required minimum 1,466.
“The number is grossly inadequate, considering the 31 hospitals in the state.
“This is even worst with availability of midwives at Primary Health Centre, as less than 50 per cent of PHCs have the presence of midwives.”
According to her, the state governor, Ahmed El-Rufa’i, has approved the recruitment of health personnel whenever there is 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 health personnel was considered a necessity. The government, therefore, established two additional state-owned college of nursing and midwifery campuses; Kaduna and Pambeguwa campuses in addition to the campus at kafanchan.’’
The commissioner explained that with the recent accreditation of all the campuses, the ministry was 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 deficiencies in the required subjects are subjected to rigorous training in basic science and introduction to nursing principals and practice.’’
She noted that 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 PHCs is gradually filled up.
“This is part of the ministry’s long plan for human resource for health. In the interim, the state 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 PHCs..”
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.(NAN)
