Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) has urged the authorities to improve the remuneration, welfare and working conditions of doctors and other health workers, as a way of tackling maternal mortality and keeping medical professionals in service, particularly in rural communities.
The senator made the call on Monday at the ongoing “Unfinished” event, organised by Ward-C in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission, in Abuja.
The event centred on maternal health, women’s rights and reproductive choices.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said addressing maternal mortality required more than constructing healthcare facilities, stressing that adequate personnel, along with the necessary equipment and support systems, must be in place to make such facilities effective.
She said health workers serving underserved communities needed adequate remuneration, functional equipment, essential medicines, reliable electricity, conducive working environments and opportunities for professional development.
According to her, healthcare infrastructure could not function effectively without the human resources required to operate and sustain it.
“Healthcare infrastructure could not function effectively without the human capital required to operate and sustain it,” she said.
The senator said improved conditions of service would help motivate health workers and encourage them to stay in rural communities, where they often work under difficult conditions.
“Better conditions of service would also encourage medical professionals to remain motivated and committed to their responsibilities, particularly in rural communities where healthcare workers often operate under difficult circumstances,” she said.
On maternal mortality, Akpoti-Uduaghan said women in rural communities remained particularly vulnerable because many healthcare facilities lacked adequate personnel and equipment to manage complicated pregnancies and neonatal emergencies.
She raised concerns about the sustainability of equipment such as incubators in communities with unreliable electricity supply.
“Is there electricity? Is there enough electricity in the rural areas to sustain the incubators wherever they are?” she asked.
She called for stronger referral systems linking primary healthcare centres with general and specialist hospitals, as well as functional laboratories, blood banks, neonatal facilities, emergency transportation, electricity and water supply.
The lawmaker also questioned the accuracy of available maternal mortality data, particularly in rural communities, where she said some deaths might not be captured.
“I don’t think that data is really reflective of the situation in the rural communities. It will probably double up,” she said.
She disclosed that her concern about maternal healthcare in underserved communities influenced her decision to build a maternity centre.
Speaking on reproductive choices, the senator said exposure to different healthcare systems had broadened her understanding of the circumstances facing some women and girls.
She called for support systems that provide information, counselling and assistance to women confronted with difficult pregnancy-related decisions.
“If I myself can be made to tilt from being pro-life to reasonably begin to appreciate the reason for choice, then I think I would say that I would love to support this kind of conversation,” she said.
She also stressed the importance of ensuring that children are born into homes where they can receive care, love and support.
Akpoti-Uduaghan urged stakeholders to sustain discussions on maternal health while also investing in healthcare infrastructure and the welfare of medical professionals, in order to improve care for women and children, particularly in underserved communities.
