FMC Keffi Kicks Off FG’s Free Cesarean Sections Initiative for Poor, Vulnerable Women
By Olu Benjamin
Dr Yahaya Baba Adamu, Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Keffi says Federal Government’s initiative to provide free cesarean sections for poor and vulnerable women across the country has commenced at the centre.
Baba Adamu confirmed the development in an interview with newsmen in Keffi local government area of the state on Thursday.
Our reporter gathered that the Federal Ministry of Health had launched the initiative tagged “Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) during the Joint Annual Health Review (JAR) organized by the ministry in 2024.
According to Baba Adamu, the initiative is a laudable one as it aims to make sure poor and vulnerable women in the country do not die in labour as a result of lack of financial capacity to pay for health services.
“Neither will the product of their delivery be allowed to die because their parents don’t have money. So that’s why federal government came up with this initiative,” he said.
He then confirmed that the initiative has already commenced at the medical centre with some pregnant women already benefitting from the federal government gesture.
“In fact as at last week not less than twelve women benefitted from it here. We think that was just too small because we know More people are out here who really need this service.
“So we didn’t stop there. We feel it is our responsibility to see how we can attract as much of our people to come in as possible.
“So the Public Relations Unit of this hospital have gone to certain communities around Keffi to direct public campaign to let the people understand there is something the government is doing that they can benefit from,” he said
He explained further that each federal hospital is expected to key into the initiative by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to serve as a facility that will participate in attending to the vulnerable group.
“So far I know every federal hospital that showed intention and also signed the MoU has been captured. Of course it’s not all that have done that.
“But I also know that some state governments signed and indicated certain number of General Hospitals they want to be part of the initiative and they were also captured.
“So I know to the best of my knowledge in Nasarawa state for now we only have FMC Keffi and Federal University Teaching Hospital Lafia. None of the state general hospital is on the list,” he added.
He however expressed hope that soon the Nasarawa state Health Management Board would approach the federal government to seek for inclusion into the initiative so as to capture more medical centres in the state with a ripple effect of capturing more vulnerable women in the state who desperately need the service.
He then appealed to the media to support the medical centre and the federal government in amplifying the initiative to the nooks and crannies of the state and the country at large so more vulnerable women can be aware and come out to key into the initiative.
“The funding is only channelled through the NHIA. You don’t have to be a registered beneficiary of NHIA to benefit. So every Nigerian woman who needs the service for the virtue of been vulnerable is qualified,” he said.
END.