Joseph Onojaerme, Delta State commissioner for Health, on Saturday, revealed that the state has recorded a significant reduction in maternal mortality, with figures dropping from over 200 to less than 120 per 100,000 live births.
He made the disclosure at Ashaka, Ndokwa East Local Government Area, during the flag-off of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII) Project Action Plan.
Onojarme, a medical doctor, expressed optimism that the programme would further reduce maternal and child deaths in the state.
While commending most health workers for their dedication, Onojaeme revealed that some had been sanctioned for extorting money from pregnant women and children under five, despite the state’s free healthcare policy for these groups.
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“Health workers in the state have done well, but in every twelve, there is a Judas. We have received reports of some collecting money from pregnant women and children under five for drugs, while still forwarding the bills to the government for payment,” he said.
According to him, several workers have already been dismissed while others were demoted for similar offences.
He assured that monitoring would continue to ensure that funds released for maternal and child healthcare were properly utilised.
Onojaeme emphasised that all pregnant women in Delta State are entitled to free healthcare until delivery, while children under five also receive free medical treatment.
He encouraged residents to report any health worker demanding payment, adding that the phone number of the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Health Monitoring would be made public for such reports.
In his remarks, John Ovuoraye, the representative of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, pledged Federal Government support to states in tackling maternal and neonatal mortality.
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Ovuoraye, a doctor, noted that 172 local government areas across 33 states had been identified as high-risk zones, including five in Delta—Ndokwa East, Ughelli North, Aniocha North, Udu, and Sapele.
Ovuoraye added that the MAMII Project, backed by President Bola Tinubu, is being implemented in collaboration with USAID, WHO, UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, and several European partners.
The event featured the presentation of the MAMII plaque to Delta State and the inauguration of a task force to drive the project’s action plan.
