By Odimegwu Onwumere

he indisputable fact that Nigeria is a religious country is even affecting the psyche of many pregnant women. They have a confidence that with their faith in their different religions, the aspect of reception to quality health and family planning are not for them.

This state-of-mind has resulted to a lot of women losing their lives in the cause of child delivery. The time they ought to have used to visit a hospital they instead use it to stay in different prayer homes supplicating, looking for Utopian miracle that most times is elusive.

Most of them have a narrow way-of-thinking, believing that since a woman is pregnant, the next level is to deliver her of the child. But they are most times oblivious that there are wobbly situations of pregnancy related impediments like obstetric fistula, which leads to caesarean section: a situation that occurs after a woman in labour must have exhausted all avenues for normal delivery.

Religious faiths quite often make these expectant mothers’ situations very unfortunate. With an account that 40 percent of the worldwide commonness of obstetric fistula is counted in Nigeria, there is an evaluation of between 400,000 and 800,000 cases of obstetric fistula, especially in the northern part of the country and with an indication of 20,000 novel cases per year, said to be the highest in the world.

It is obvious in Nigeria that many pregnant women do not care for the health administration system, but religious system for delivery. Conversely, they forgot or knew, but do not want to accept the fact that, the later does not ensure a framework supportable on the table of scientists.

What these women do not know is that there has never been a time the World Health Organisation, WHO, or any health body in the world had prescribed that annual budget for the health sector should go for the religious organizations for the purpose of child delivery.

Rather, WHO would say that at least 15 per cent of the government’s budgets should be allocated to the health sector, but especially in the developing countries, which Nigeria is a part, to enable the much expected result in health delivery achieved.

The reason most pregnant women still visit the religious bodies nevertheless does meet the eyes, not minding the epoch where governments at all levels have continued to make antenatal and postnatal overhauling free in order to support and sponsor the expectant mothers.

Government has been showing that it has a transformation agenda for the health sector, even though that such agenda has not been favourable at all levels, but, at least, it is favouring pregnant women, than any other class in Nigeria.

As one dodgy religious country, most of the women who have had unfortunate delivery in the past attribute their woes to being spiritual, especially if they were befallen by ailment before or after the process of being pregnant.

Such statement like, ‘God forbid, it is not my portion to suffer this disease again’, ‘Holy Ghost fire’, are often heard among them, while looking for solutions to their situations. Many of them diagnosed with terminal diseases prefer going to their religious organisations and with the philosophy of, ‘For divine healing’, instead of going for palliative, rather than elusive curative approach.

Nonetheless, there are people who support the thinking of these women, because the authorities have not had all the equipments for dealing with such ailments like cancer, heart disease, kidney failure, and many other mortal diseases, unlike Uganda which is said to have been only the third African country to have made morphine obtainable and reasonably-priced to her patient residents.

Morphine is yet to be accessible in Nigeria and, imagine a pregnant woman suffering from one of the diseases.

Many Nigerians would not want to be correlated with a pregnant woman, let alone, the one with a terminal disease. So, some of these women instead of going to the hospital and be mocked, prefer their religious bodies, where they believe dishonour and stigmatisation will be on errand and their situation will not be disclosed to their families and friends, to avoid family members and friends’ segregation and they may be repaired without much stress.

he professor hinges her point, saying: “The members of the palliative care team include physicians (family, surgeons, oncologists, radiotherapists, Palliative care/pain experts), nurses (hospital, community-based, private duty), pharmacists, social workers, therapists (physiotherapy, occupational, music and recreational), chaplain, families, friends, volunteers. The hospice provides palliative care to meet the entire patient’s needs (emotional, social and spiritual) as well as the needs of the family.”

Further, connoisseurs argue that as a result that health practitioners/patients have poor knowledge of soothing care, individualistic approach becomes fad to the management of terminal disease-patients, unlike in few countries – South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Egypt – where established care, support/pain control exist.

A description also has it that upon those diseases are global threats, the stigmatisation that is being shown to victims of deadly diseases in Nigeria affects the socio-economic progress of the country, as the sufferers probably miss work and, are unemployed or stop-working early.

In a testimony of May 2004, a Professor of Anaesthesia & Dean, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, argues that such behavior against people with terminal diseases is very detrimental.

tobechi74: By Odimegwu Onwumere

he indisputable fact that Nigeria is a religious country is even affecting the psyche of many pregnant women. They have a confidence that with their faith in their different religions, the aspect of reception to quality health and family planning are not for them.

This state-of-mind has resulted to a lot of women losing their lives in the cause of child delivery. The time they ought to have used to visit a hospital they instead use it to stay in different prayer homes supplicating, looking for Utopian miracle that most times is elusive.

Most of them have a narrow way-of-thinking, believing that since a woman is pregnant, the next level is to deliver her of the child. But they are most times oblivious that there are wobbly situations of pregnancy related impediments like obstetric fistula, which leads to caesarean section: a situation that occurs after a woman in labour must have exhausted all avenues for normal delivery.

Religious faiths quite often make these expectant mothers’ situations very unfortunate. With an account that 40 percent of the worldwide commonness of obstetric fistula is counted in Nigeria, there is an evaluation of between 400,000 and 800,000 cases of obstetric fistula, especially in the northern part of the country and with an indication of 20,000 novel cases per year, said to be the highest in the world.

It is obvious in Nigeria that many pregnant women do not care for the health administration system, but religious system for delivery. Conversely, they forgot or knew, but do not want to accept the fact that, the later does not ensure a framework supportable on the table of scientists.

What these women do not know is that there has never been a time the World Health Organisation, WHO, or any health body in the world had prescribed that annual budget for the health sector should go for the religious organizations for the purpose of child delivery.

Rather, WHO would say that at least 15 per cent of the government’s budgets should be allocated to the health sector, but especially in the developing countries, which Nigeria is a part, to enable the much expected result in health delivery achieved.

The reason most pregnant women still visit the religious bodies nevertheless does meet the eyes, not minding the epoch where governments at all levels have continued to make antenatal and postnatal overhauling free in order to support and sponsor the expectant mothers.

Government has been showing that it has a transformation agenda for the health sector, even though that such agenda has not been favourable at all levels, but, at least, it is favouring pregnant women, than any other class in Nigeria.

As one dodgy religious country, most of the women who have had unfortunate delivery in the past attribute their woes to being spiritual, especially if they were befallen by ailment before or after the process of being pregnant.

Such statement like, ‘God forbid, it is not my portion to suffer this disease again’, ‘Holy Ghost fire’, are often heard among them, while looking for solutions to their situations. Many of them diagnosed with terminal diseases prefer going to their religious organisations and with the philosophy of, ‘For divine healing’, instead of going for palliative, rather than elusive curative approach.

Nonetheless, there are people who support the thinking of these women, because the authorities have not had all the equipments for dealing with such ailments like cancer, heart disease, kidney failure, and many other mortal diseases, unlike Uganda which is said to have been only the third African country to have made morphine obtainable and reasonably-priced to her patient residents.

Morphine is yet to be accessible in Nigeria and, imagine a pregnant woman suffering from one of the diseases.

Many Nigerians would not want to be correlated with a pregnant woman, let alone, the one with a terminal disease. So, some of these women instead of going to the hospital and be mocked, prefer their religious bodies, where they believe dishonour and stigmatisation will be on errand and their situation will not be disclosed to their families and friends, to avoid family members and friends’ segregation and they may be repaired without much stress.

he professor hinges her point, saying: “The members of the palliative care team include physicians (family, surgeons, oncologists, radiotherapists, Palliative care/pain experts), nurses (hospital, community-based, private duty), pharmacists, social workers, therapists (physiotherapy, occupational, music and recreational), chaplain, families, friends, volunteers. The hospice provides palliative care to meet the entire patient’s needs (emotional, social and spiritual) as well as the needs of the family.”

Further, connoisseurs argue that as a result that health practitioners/patients have poor knowledge of soothing care, individualistic approach becomes fad to the management of terminal disease-patients, unlike in few countries – South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Egypt – where established care, support/pain control exist.

A description also has it that upon those diseases are global threats, the stigmatisation that is being shown to victims of deadly diseases in Nigeria affects the socio-economic progress of the country, as the sufferers probably miss work and, are unemployed or stop-working early.

In a testimony of May 2004, a Professor of Anaesthesia & Dean, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, argues that such behavior against people with terminal diseases is very detrimental.

........................the ignorant horde add more imbeciles to their numbers. Praise Hey-Zeus

I don't agree completely with the researcher. The average Nigerian family do not neglect basic medical care, with respect to their reproductive health, in the guise of seeking for a miracle.

The most you would find, for the average case, would be families who combine medical aid with 'divine intervention'.

It is no news that the typical Nigerian seeks the divine even in very trivial matters but this is not saying that this prevents them from carrying out their present obligation.

I would have agreed fully with the researcher if he had focused more on factors like the level of poverty vis-a-vis the literacy rate and how both factors combine to impact on the birth mortality rate as against his focus on religion.

striktlymi: I don't agree completely with the researcher. The average Nigerian family do not neglect basic medical care, with respect to their reproductive health, in the guise of seeking for a miracle.

The most you would find, for the average case, would be families who combine medical aid with 'divine intervention'.

It is no news that the typical Nigerian seeks the divine even in very trivial matters but this is not saying that this prevents them from carrying out their present obligation.

I would have agreed fully with the researcher if he had focused more on factors like the level of poverty vis-a-vis the literacy rate and how both factors combine to impact on the birth mortality rate as against his focus on religion.

^^^
Exhibit A of a dubious religious apologist.


This guy will defend his christian religion at all costs if even it will the death of numerous people (same like those who deny that boko haram is a religious problem)

Is it a lie that many Nigerians, especially christians, die because the seek spiritual healing rather than medical? Keep denying the obvious

logicboy01:


^^^
Exhibit A of a dubious religious apologist.


This guy will defend his christian religion at all costs if even it will the death of numerous people (same like those who deny that boko haram is a religious problem)

Is it a lie that many Nigerians, especially christians, die because the seek spiritual healing rather than medical? Keep denying the obvious

If the bold is with respect to child birth, it is not true.

striktlymi:

If the bold is with respect to child birth, it is not true.

It would shock you how many pregnant women dont go for prenatal check up out of ignorance. They only see doctors when there is a problem during the pregnancy and when it is close to birth.

I personally did not find this out, I was told by a friend (a nurse) who had just given birth.....we were talking about pregnancy.


Some of these aforementioned women do prayer sessions for their pregnancy......."this baby will be covered with the blood of Jesus"

striktlymi:

If the bold is with respect to child birth, it is not true.

What about the anti-abortion madness? Even some christians here have zero tolerance for it- even when the childbirth could kill the mother!

logicboy01:


It would shock you how many pregnant women dont go for prenatal check up out of ignorance. They only see doctors when there is a problem during the pregnancy and when it is close to birth.

I personally did not find this out, I was told by a friend (a nurse) who had just given birth.....we were talking about pregnancy.


Some of these aforementioned women do prayer sessions for their pregnancy......."this baby will be covered with the blood of Jesus"

That's different! Even irreligious people can also neglect that out of ignorance.

logicboy01:


What about the anti-abortion madness? Even some christians here have zero tolerance for it- even when the childbirth could kill the mother!

I have zero tolerance for abortion. Having zero tolerance for something so wrong is not the same as neglecting medical attention.

striktlymi:

I have zero tolerance for abortion. Having zero tolerance for something so wrong is not the same as neglecting medical attention.

I wish you could say this to a hormonal, pregnant woman whose pregnancy could potentially kill her.

logicboy01:



I wish you could say this to a hormonal, pregnant woman whose pregnancy could potentially kill her.

striktlymi:

It's probably best that these mothers don't survive childbirth if they believe that their imaginary friend will save them.

mmsen: It's probably best that these mothers don't survive childbirth if they believe that their imaginary friend will save them.

cold hearted atheist