CSO in Gombe Appeals For The Return Of Free Antenatal Services, Thumps Up Gov Inuwa For Supporting VHWs

An appeal has been made to the Gombe state Government to bring back the free antenatal services for the benefit of the less privileged.

Comrade Alhassan Yahaya, Chairman Network for Maternal and Newborn Child Health Initiative (NMNCHI),a  Gombe based Civil Society Organisation made call during an advocacy visit to the newly appointed Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA), Dr Abdulrahman Alhassan .

Yahaya said that the call became necessary following the poor indices of the State in terms of maternal and neonatal child mortality  in the state.

He added that it is very important because, in the past, the State Government supported the free antenatal service for women from the conception of pregnancy up to delivery, even if it is through cesarean section.

He, however, regretted that the immediate past government stopped it about three to four years ago and hoped that the present administration of Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya will do the needful and bring back the scheme because it has been of great help to the less  priviledged.

According to him, “It is key and very important because, in the past, we were practising free ANC scheme in the State whereby whenever your wife is pregnant she will go and deliver even up to cesarean session (CS) free of charge. in the society.The government was supporting that but about three to four years ago the previous administration stopped that and we hope it is time for this Government to do the needful and bring back the scheme because it is reducing the out of pocket expenses While responding, the newly appointed Executive secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA) Dr Abdulrahman Shuaibu commended the good work the network had been doing and said the agency will need the collaboration of the CSO’s because the Agency cannot stand on its own. the parents”, the Chairman said.

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