It has been reported that several women have died of child complications in Mayiola community in Kajuru local government area, Kaduna state due to lack of antenatal services.
Speaking with journalists, residents in the area consisting of over 3000 inhabitants said in separate interviews that they also lost a lot of children under the age of five due to lack of healthcare services.
Salamatu Haruna is a housewife. She said.
“Women here rarely attend ante-natal clinics or visit hospitals for check up during pregnancy or delivery.
“I don’t go for ante-natal services during my pregnancies because of the distance between our village and the nearest place to get hospital services which is Kachia or Idoh and is about 100 kilometres from here.’’
Still speaking, Haruna said the village lacks good road which will aid a smooth ride on motorcycles for women when in labour.
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“For us to access health care we have to use motorcycles, as such women here deliver at home with the help of traditional birth attendants.
“We do not have good roads here and one cannot easily get cars or motorcycles, sometimes we trek, and when a woman is in labour in the night it becomes more difficult to even contemplate going to a hospital.
“Eleven pregnant women have died this year from labour complications,’’ the woman said.
Another housewife, Hafsat Abubakar said that “anytime I am pregnant, it comes with fever and since there is no hospital close by, I prefer to stay at home and take local herbs as it is our culture.
“I know four women close to me that lost their lives in the process of childbirth here in the village.
“We prefer to patronise traditional birth attendants because that’s the only option we have here in Mayola.’’
Another female resident in the village, Zainab Abubakar said she attends antenatal but not as frequent as she should. She said this came to be because of the distance and poor transport service. Abubakar said she patronises local patent medicine stores whenever she felt ill.
One Zainab Musa also added that five of her relatives had died during childbirth in the community in 2017.
“I give birth at home because my mom is a traditional birth attendant and the culture here is when it is time for you to give birth you go to your parent‘s house and not your husband house.’’
A 60-year-old woman, Maryam Mayola, also noted that there was usually a great suffering for women during childbirth in the community, coupled with the great expenses incurred in the process.
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A husband, Mohammed Adamu, whose wife died of childbirth complications said:
“I remember the day I took my wife to a hospital during childbirth and before reaching there she lost her life. These are some of the ordeals our women go through. She really suffered on that day before she and the baby died.
“So we are very happy to see you in this community because we have never seen journalists face to face but here you are in our community,’’ Adamu said.
The village head, Ardo Abu Maiyola expressed his concern on the issue. He said that they had never received any government official in the 40-year history of the village.
“We hope your visit will bring development to this community. On the issue of health or pregnant women, honestly our women do suffer a lot during childbirth, in fact, anytime our women get pregnant we never have rest of mind until they deliver their babies safely.”
“You have seen that yourself, there is no clinic and other social amenities here in Maiyola, and this village has been in existence for over 40 years. We are only living here on the mercy of God,’’ the community leader said.
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