Otti Warns Abia Residents Against Patronising Traditional Birth Attendants

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has warned residents against patronising traditional birth attendants (TBAs), stressing that offenders risk arrest as part of measures to reduce maternal and child mortality in the state.

Speaking on Saturday at the commissioning of two primary healthcare centres in Bende Local Government, the Governor, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya, lamented that Nigeria accounts for 29 per cent of global maternal deaths.

He described delivery by unskilled workers, particularly traditional birth attendants, as one of the leading causes of maternal mortality.

“Traditional birth attendants lack the training and certification to handle maternal and child health care. They do not have the requisite skills for safety in delivery,” he said.

Governor Otti disclosed that the two newly functionalised primary health centres bring the total to 42, while the remaining eight centres under construction are expected to be completed within the week.

“This will complete the 50 PHCs targeted for functionalisation in the first phase of Project Ekwueme this September,” he explained.

The facilities, he added, are equipped with modern medical equipment, including multi-parameter monitors, automatic external defibrillators, auto-analysers, incubators, oxygen delivery systems, and world-class delivery rooms fitted with life-support equipment for both mothers and infants.

The Mayor of Bende LGA, Deacon Uwabunkeonye Bassey, commended the Governor’s commitment to healthcare transformation, saying the new centres signal a decisive shift from the decay witnessed in the past.

The Executive Secretaries of the Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and the Health Insurance Agency urged residents to take ownership of the facilities and maximise the benefits of the Abia Basic Health Fund.