The Rotary Club of Lagos Royale on Wednesday sensitised Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Faith-Based Birth Attendants (FBAs) at the grassroots to reduce maternal casualties during childbirth.
Dr Bountiful Adelanwa, the Charter President of the club, said during the sensitisation at the Orile Agege Primary Health Centre, Lagos, that the exercise was aimed at reducing the number of maternal deaths during childbirth.
“Every Rotary Club has projects in its local community. While we also operate at the global level, our priority at the local level is to serve our immediate community.
“We have visited Primary Health Centres and maternal homes to donate gifts to pregnant women and new mothers.
“For this edition, however, the club is taking a different approach. Within our community, most women, particularly the indigenous population, prefer to patronise Traditional Birth Attendants and Faith-Based Birth Attendants.
“We cannot ignore the reality on ground, and we will not shy away from it. That is why we are taking the bull by the horns by partnering with registered Traditional Birth Attendants and Faith-Based Birth Attendants,” she said.
She added that maternal childbirth cases were under-reported at the local government level, and that was why the club was working to ensure there were no casualties at any point.
“Except the government organises sensitisation programmes like this, the knowledge gap will remain. So for us, we are retraining them.
“Through our team of medical doctors, we are retraining them on proper labour management and on recognising when to refer patients during childbirth,” Adelanwa said.
Mr Jimi Ajibola, Assistant Governor, Rotary Club of Lagos Royale, said it was necessary to empower and enlighten both birth attendants because of their level of acceptance in the community.
Dr Kolawole Ashoro, a Rotarian and Medical Director of Medwin Hospital, Lagos, while addressing the birth attendants, advised them to be cautious when admitting pregnant women.
He urged them to always check and confirm the medical records of pregnant women before admitting them.
“Some pregnant women may have a history of complicated medical conditions and choose to hide it from TBAs and FBAs, which could later lead to complications during childbirth.
“A patient may have previously undergone a caesarean section — a surgical procedure where one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother’s abdomen — and chooses to hide it from local birth attendants. That is dangerous,” he said.
“That is why we are here to educate you on signs to look for when admitting pregnant women,” he said.
Dr Abolanle Ategbero, a Resident Doctor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), thanked the Rotary Club of Lagos Royale for its noble sensitisation projects in the community.
She said the Rotary Club of Lagos Royale was doing well because the initiative serves humanity, adding that she had seen cases mismanaged by TBAs.
“Sometimes they just wait, hoping things will get better, and then the case gets worse.
“That is why it is important to have education sessions like this for them, to remind them. It is not that they do not know, but that there is no room for trial and error in childbirth,” she said.
She said although medical professionals were biased against traditional and faith-based birth attendants, they could not ignore their presence in society.
Mr Akinpelu Balogun, a Traditional Birth Attendant, noted that traditional practices remain the primary method they use for childbirth.
He added that TBAs were adequately trained within their tradition to manage childbirth cases.
According to him, the enlightenment session also opened their eyes to various challenges encountered during maternal care and labour.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the club donated hospital materials, bedspreads and other items to participants to enhance their services.
