Kwara state government says it has recruited more than 40 nurses and midwives into its primary health care development agency to take care of some selected rural areas of the state with basic health challenges.

Speaking at the training of the newly engaged 17 nurses and midwives under the basic health care provision fund (BHCPF), the executive secretary, Kwara state primary health care development agency, Dr. Nusirat Elelu, decried the current maternal mortality rate in the country, saying it is not acceptable.

Dr. Elelu, who said that the state government recently recruited 28 midwives with the additional 17 nurses and midwives under the BHCPF, added that, “We have identified some local government areas where we have challenges. Some of the local governments include Kaiama, Irepodun, Baruten, Oke-Ero and Edu, especially Oke-Ero, where they would serve.”

The executive secretary, who welcomed the newly recruited midwives/nurses into the fold of the agency, urged them to keep data that would capture children born by skilled birth attendants, imbibe good practices and give their best to the people of the state.

Dr. Elelu, who reiterated that the high maternal mortality rate in the country is not acceptable, noted that the state maternal mortality rate is below average, attributing the development to availability of skilled birth attendants.

“We have realized that the skilled birth attendants that we have are still not enough under the auspices of basic health provision fund which is a national project of the federal government. The aim is for us to have one functional primary health care centre in each geopolitical ward of the country. Kwara state has 193 wards and so far we have been able to accredit 158 out of the 193 wards. The 35 outstanding is also billed for accreditation. One of the criteria for accreditation of primary health care centre is to have experienced midwives.”

She, however, recalled that the state government had recruited over 40 new nurses to join the state civil service to increase quality of healthcare at the primary health care, saying that, “today I'm happy that every single ward is being attended to by skilled birth attendants”.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) representative, Pharmacist Buhari Bolaji, who pledged support of the organization to the programme, noted that the WHO had always been there for the state as partners.

“We have also been supporting the state technically in their programmes. This is a laudable programme. This is a programme that would ensure that we have a reduction in maternal and child death and enhance safe delivery in our community.”