Child birth is one area of medical science that is near perfect. The mortality rate of both the child and the mother or either during childbirth in the west is close to zero yet women giving birth in Nigerian hospitals take a 50-50 chance of life and death. Child birth for God's sake is not rocket science and does not require complex/dear medical equipments. What then is the problem?. Are our doctors not competent enough to manage crisis situations during child birth or what?. Why are pregnant women still dying in drones during Childbirth in Nigeria? .

POVERTY AND IGNORANCE.

Poverty that makes a woman and or her husband incapable of giving her good food and conducive living environ.

Ignorance among women, their husbands and most deadly of all ignorance in medical personnel. I had a nightmarish experience long ago after my second baby. I developed a splitting headache a few minute after the baby was born and the nurses said it was normal. Luckily, I knew it was a symptom of post-partum eclampsia. They even refused to pick an intercom and summon the doctor saying I was making a fuss. Luckily, my husband was around and I got him to summon the doctors, who rushed in on hearing the word 'headache'. I still celebrate survival anyday the girl, who is 15 now, is celebrating her birthday. The deadly condition finishes up the victim in 10 minutes and the nurses had wasted like six minutes.

Let no woman go anywhere near a labour ward without another strong adult nearby.

There are many angles to the problem in Nigeria.

A lot of pregnant women don't use hospital facilities during their pregnancy, so complications develop, and we know prevention is always better.

This maybe due to
i.) unavailability of hospital facilities in some parts of Naija
ii.) Religious practices - Lots of women go to their church or mosque for deliveries
iii.) Traditional practices - some will always have their babies at home
iv.) Cost of healthcare
And when complications develop, there is only so much the doctor can do.

We have a lot of well trained doctors and medical personnel , but most of these docs are practicing in countries where they are better paid and appreciated. The effect of this is lack of adequate coverage of the country in terms of healthcare and presence of more quacks.

Bad cultural practices - Teenage marriage and pregnancies usually have complications.

Illiteracy - A lot of people don't know the right things to do, and they will not go to the right sources for information.

Having lots of kids - The more pregnancies, the more likely you are to have serious complications.

Government's i don't care attitude to all of these problems.

So, if we add all these up, we get our high maternal/infant mortality rates.

tough topic gonna keep an eye on this

ziga:

There are many angles to the problem in Nigeria.

A lot of pregnant women don't use hospital facilities during their pregnancy, so complications develop, and we know prevention is always better.

This maybe due to
i.) unavailability of hospital facilities in some parts of Naija
ii.) Religious practices - Lots of women go to their church or mosque for deliveries
iii.) Traditional practices - some will always have their babies at home
iv.) Cost of healthcare
And when complications develop, there is only so much the doctor can do.

We have a lot of well trained doctors and medical personnel , but most of these docs are practicing in countries where they are better paid and appreciated. The effect of this is lack of adequate coverage of the country in terms of healthcare and presence of more quacks.

Bad cultural practices - Teenage marriage and pregnancies usually have complications.

Illiteracy - A lot of people don't know the right things to do, and they will not go to the right sources for information.

Having lots of kids - The more pregnancies, the more likely you are to have serious complications.

Government's i don't care attitude to all of these problems.

So, if we add all these up, we get our high maternal/infant mortality rates.

I never hear of people going to the church or mosque for childbirth. Good analysis though.

its so much safer and better to give birth in general or government run hospitals rather than those private hospitals with quack doctors and unqualified nurses. but people tend to look down on GHs cos they're perceived as poor people's hospital. giving birth in a church or mosque is jsut th height of ignorance and stupidit[size=1pt].[/size]y. i know someone that lost her child and almost her life while giving birth in a church.

You are very correct. I thought about it sometime ago because our government hospitals are equipped with qualified personnel. I disagree tho that our private hospitals have quack doctors, rather, it's auxilliary nurses who handle everything in the absence of the doctor who is busy somewhere drinking palmwine.

aloy-emeka:

Why are pregnant women still dying in drones during Childbirth in Nigeria?

[childbirth] does not require complex/dear medical equipments

Are our doctors not competent enough to manage crisis situations during child birth or what?.

What then is the problem?

interesting how you answered one of the reasons to your question

I refuse to believe we have incompetent physicians in Nigeria.

aloy-emeka:

I never hear of people going to the church or mosque for childbirth. Good analysis though.

Lots of women deliver in the Church or the Pastor's house. In fact some prayer houses organise ante-natal in the Church and discourage their members from going to the hospital. Once the woman enters the ninth month, they pack their things and come and live in the Church till they deliver. I've seen it with my eyes both in Lagos and Onitsha.

One pastor's wife only stopped when a woman went into obstructed labour and died in her house.