In a bid to further reduce maternal mortality, the Kwara State Government has again trained 193 health workers on the use of Partograph to ensure every healthcare facility in the state is fully equipped and all healthcare workers have the necessary skills to prevent maternal deaths.
The health workers selected from different Primary Health Care facilities across the state were trained on the use of correct Partograph plotting to effectively track labour progress and identify potential complications which pregnant women may encounter.
The 3-day training, which ended on Wednesday, was organised by Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, with the support of the World Bank IMPACT project (Immunization plus Malaria progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services), aimed at bridging the knowledge gap among newly recruited healthcare workers and also served as a refresher training for the existing staff.
The Executive Secretary, Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Prof. Nusirat Elelu, stated that the training was expected to provide participants with requisite skills to enable them provide optimal services in the respective facilities as well as possess the right information and skills to ensure that health workers arrest unnecessary and unwarranted deaths of mothers and children.
The Executive Secretary, who was represented by the Director, Primary Health Care Systems, who also doubles as the Programme Manager of IMPACT project, Dr. Michael Oguntoye, noted that the importance of the training cannot be overemphasized because it will go a long way to reduce maternal mortality in the state and allow quality delivery processes of babies.
Prof. Elelu added that the training will equip participants on how to effectively monitor the fetal and maternal well-being using the Partograph for early detection of complications and to interpret the Partograph for informed decision-making on prompt referral to improve maternal outcomes, stressing that the Partograph is a lifesaving tool if used correctly.
While commending the Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for his commitment and investment in the health sector, the Executive Secretary urged participants to be attentive to acquire information and skills that are needed for the benefit of all residents.
In her remarks, the Focal Person, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health + Nutrition (RMNCAH+N), Dr. Medinat Olaosebikan, said that after the training, “we expect a significant improvement in the quality of care at PHC facilities. This will ensure that expectant mothers receive the best care during labour and delivery, with early identification of poor progress and prompt referral when needed.”
Dr. Olaosebikan claimed that, “our goal is to strengthen the healthcare system by promoting safe motherhood and reducing maternal and child mortality rates,” expressing optimism that the training will have positive impact on the participants as well as reflect on RMNCAH+N scores and overall improvement in maternal and newborn outcomes.
(kwaramoc.com.ng).
