Fides Media Living the Faith
By Jude Atupulazi
The Anambra State Government has distributed 120 anti-shock garments to mission hospitals and general hospitals across the state.
The wife of the state governor, Dr. Nonye Soludo, while distributing the 120 anti-shock garments, said the intention of the state government was to prevent maternal mortality.
‘These garments will help to stop bleeding and ensure safe delivery in the state,’ she explained.
The distribution of the anti-shock garments was done by Dr. Mrs. Soludo at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia.
She explained that the garment could keep a bleeding woman alive for 48 hours and appealed to healthcare professionals to ensure they used it judiciously so as to save lives.
‘Records from the maternal mortality review meeting held in the state showed that 80 percent of maternal deaths were as a result of bleeding also known as Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH).
‘PPH is heavy bleeding of a woman during or shortly after delivery and it is causing death among women. This is why we are distributing the anti-shock garments which is a low technology first aid device.
`Once bleeding has been identified, many women die before receiving adequate treatment. Therefore, the garment can be used to keep such women alive for 48 hours; if not, she can bleed to death within 30 minutes.
‘These are preventable deaths and again I urge our health personnel to put the anti-shock garments to use in order to reduce maternal mortality and as well ensure safe delivery in Anambra,’ she said.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, said the state government was sustaining efforts to ensuring that Anambra remained the lowest in terms of maternal mortality in the country.
Dr. Obidike said the next phase of the anti-shock garments distribution would be to all the Primary Healthcare Centres in the state.
According to him, the garment is used to stabilize women suffering from obstetric bleeding and shock. It helps such women survive delays in getting to a hospital and getting the treatment that they need.
`And this brand of garments can be reused for at least 144 times. Our goal is that no woman in Anambra should die as a result of preventable causes,’ he said.
The State Reproductive Health Coordinator, Dr. Obianuju Okoye, said there would be training to upgrade the clinical capacities of health workers on the use of the anti-shock garments.
`The state government has provided to us everything needed for the training, we are waiting for all the hospitals that received the anti-shock garments to send details of the healthcare personnel to be trained,’ Dr Okoye said.
Appreciating the government and the wife of the governor on behalf of the benefiting hospitals, Dr. Francis Ifeaneme, Secretary, Nigerian Medical Association, Anambra Chapter, assured that the garments would be used to save lives.