By Adi Angyu
The Bauchi state Accountability Mechanism for Maternal and New Born Health (BaSAM) has commended commercial motorcycle riders popularly known as ‘Okada’ in Ningi Local Government Area state for offering
free services to pregnant mothers in conveying them free of charge to health facilities
The Chairman of the Advocacy Sub-committee of BaSAM, Bappa Mahdi revealed this during a one day BaSAM bi-annual meeting organized by Evidence for Action (E4A) held at the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ) Secretariat in Bauchi.
He also urged other Okada riders in the country to emulating those in Ningi who are determine to save lives of mothers and newborn in their area by devoting themselves to humanity service and donating blood when the need arises and always place the needs of others especially expectant mothers above their personal interests with a view to saving lives.
Mr. Mahdi lament the high cost of blood screening charges in government health facilities within the state while calling on the state Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar to reduce the cost on patients and their relatives.
He noted that, the charge is high thereby discouraging pregnant women from going to hospital for delivery in case of loss of blood which can lead to death of a pregnant mothers.
He further calls on government to provide more functional blood banks in the general hospitals across the state to reduce to the barest minimum the number of deaths of pregnant mothers during delivery.
