A non Governmental Organization, The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, CHRICED has advocated for the passage of the bill on free Maternal and child healthcare into law in Kano state, with the aim of reversing the alarming rate of maternal deaths in the State.
The Centre’s Executive Director, Ibrahim Zikirullahi made the call during a one day workshop to validate the draft bill on free maternal and child health, held in Kano.
Ibrahim Zikrullah explained that there was the need to ensure the passage of the bill into law in order to provide a legal backing to the programme and ensure successive governments continue the programme to address the menace in the state.
He noted that the current situation of high increase in maternal death In Kano was very Alarming hence all the necessary efforts needed to be implored in ensuring that the bill scale through.
In a remark the Director General, Kano State Hospitals Management Board,Dr Nasiru Alhassan represented by Dr Maryam Suleiman said the state losses women and children on daily basis to maternal and child deaths.
“There is no day in Kano that women or children do not die. Most of maternal deaths are preventable. These women should not die. They are dying because something right is not been done. So in Nigeria, Kano has the highest number of maternal mortality. The figure in Nigeria is usually quoted at over 800 but in Kano it is more than 2,000.
“So we should have at the back of our mind that we could be a direct beneficiary of the draft to prevent the maternal deaths,”
Earlier the Chairman, House Committee on Health, Kano State House of Assembly, Nuhu Abdullahi Achika represented by Tijjani Shehu Adams assured the gathering of the speedy passage of the bill into law upon submission before the assembly.
The meeting was attended by Traditional rulers,Health professionals , legal practitioners, journalist and other stake holders.
Abdullahi Jalaludeen
