To Tackle Maternal, Child Deaths, Invest in Healthcare, U.S. Experts Tell FG

Rebecca Ejifoma

After successfully establishing a specialist hospital in Lagos in 2016 to combat medical tourism, U.S.-trained Nigeria medical experts have called on federal government to invest heavily in infrastructure in order to reduce maternal and child deaths in the country.

Stating this at a three-day medical screening exercise to formally launch the Genesis Women’s Health Centre (GWHC), a wing of Genesis Specialist Hospital, Lagos, they said it would require a lot of investments from the government and health workers to improve the current situation.

The Head, Medical Affairs, a U.S.-trained Critical Care Specialist and Anesthesiologist, Dr.Debo Adebayo, said, thefocus of the GWHC was to provide standard care including robust gynecologic and obstetric services, as they are also equipped to handle high risk pregnancies and laparoscopic procedures.

He said: “Doctors cannot do it alone. Hence, non-complicated pregnancies can be handled by nurses or midwives, who could be in the local communities helping guide people through pregnancy and definitely knowing when to refer a patient out.

He suggested that there had to be regulation guiding the minimum standard that these centresshould have, adding that if centres have ability to get physicians who can deliver those pregnant women through cesarean section, they should not be sent out at the last minute.

He spoke further: “The government can subsidise antenatal care. Routine antenatal care should not be a large expense. They could make it free for those that cannot afford it.

“To achieve this, the Women’s Health Centre at Genesis is designed to provide optimal antenatal care to women and excellent delivery. There is need for expert care for our women. There is a need for a centre where we can give them excellent world-class treatment. This is our aim, safe, exceptional antenatal care.

“It is designed in such a way that pregnant women are well-treated and well-managed from the time of registration to delivery. It is equipped with automated bed, life support machine incubator for the babies among other necessary facilities.”

Women’s Health Specialist, Dr. Oluwakemi Dosumu, assured Nigerians that their intent was to ensure women always feel that joy every time they have their babies. “Patients’ centred-care is what the team is bringing to the Nigerian woman,” she added.

The hospital CEO and Harvard trained Critical Care and Public Health Specialist, Dr. RogerOlade, stated that the goal was to provide great care to women.