WIFE of the governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, has urged expectant mothers in the state, to utilize the various health initiatives of the government to ensure safe delivery.

She gave the advice at Ikorodu, during a town hall meeting on maternal and child mortality reduction, organized by the Ministry of Health.

Mrs. Ambode noted that the Lagos State Government was a proactive one, which had introduced many interventions to reduce maternal and child mortality.

Life-saving commodities

She listed such interventions to include: construction of maternal and child health centers; rehabilitation and equipping of primary health facilities; procurement of life-saving commodities and many others.

According to her, ‘No woman deserves to die during pregnancy or child birth. Government has made adequate provisions for complete well-being of mothers during pregnancy and after child birth. These services are available at the maternal and child health centers and free of charge at the primary health care centers too.

Bolanle-Ambode

She observed that Ikorodu had been a major beneficiary of those interventions, citing the infrastructural development of their primary and secondary health facilities and the midwives service scheme to increase skilled birth attendants, among others.

She appealed that cases requiring life-saving interventions be referred promptly to the appropriate health facilities, stressing that it was a collective responsibility as community leaders in different capacities, to save mothers and the infants.

Speaking earlier, the Honorable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, urged pregnant women to attend ante-natal clinics, and deliver their babies at registered health facilities with skilled birth attendants. He said that such health facilities were registered with the State Government through HEFAMAA with their registration plaques displayed at the entrances of their facilities.

Goodwill messages were given by the Chairman, House Committee on Health, Hon. Segun Olulade, member representing Ikorodu Federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Babajide Benson, the senior special assistant to the president on Foreign Affairs and the Disapora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, former secretary to the state government, Princess Aderenle Adeniran-Ogunsanya, HRM, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi.