Worried that Nigeria has the highest maternal rate in the world, medical experts have urged government to urgently find ways to reduce exodus of health workers to curtail death of women and children during child birth.

The experts during the opening ceremony of a three-day annual conference of the Association of Fetomaternal Expert of Nigeria (AFEMSON) yesterday in Abuja, stressed the need for government to make health workers in the country to want to stay, saying if they close their eyes to the way the health workers are migrating, then who will manage the populace

The experts while x-raying the several causes death of women and babies during pregnancy and at birth, noted that Nigeria currently leads on maternal mortality in the world and second in neonatal mortality, saying the statistics are not good given the country potential to ensure we don’t belong to these group.

Dr. Ayede Adejumoke Idowu, a medical consultant at the University Teaching Hospital, Ibadan, submitted that “the workforce need to be retained, there must be routine employment you cannot stop employment in the health workforce it must be continuously done as they are exiting they should be replaced. I know there are limited resources but the health sector should be prioritize.”

She further stated that there is no country in the world where government alone takes care of health it’s very difficult and expensive and invest heavily before you can see the impact

To reduce maternal mortality rate, Dr. Idowu harped on the need for a comprehensive review of health facilities in the country, saying there is need to have a model and functional Primary Healthcare Centers in every ward and also ensure each local government area has a general hospital.

She suggested that Federal Medical Centers and University Teaching Hospitals should be located in each of the 3 senatorial district across the states while specialist hospitals can be in each of the geopolitical zones.

The medical expert also stressed the need to encourage public private partnership like is done in India saying government needs to support the private sector and vise versa

The provost of Umar Yar’Adua University Teaching Hospital, Prof Jamilu Tukutu, stressed that high or low blood pressure is one of the factors that can lead to death during pregnancy.

Mentioning that the condition is usually detected during antenatal care, he said unfortunately many women don’t come for antenatal or when they come they don’t get the best care.

He stressed the need for blood pressure of women to be properly checked during antenatal and if their is need referral should be made for women to get proper care and giving the proper dosage of magnesium saying this would help reduce maternal mortality rate on the country

The Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee of the conference, Prof Yabagi Isah, said specialist manage pregnant mothers and their babies to x-ray research outputs that are available and how to improve the lives of pregnant women and their babies.

He said although their has been marginal improvement in the healthcare of women and children but there are still lots to be done to reduce maternal and infant morality rate in the country.