By Donald Iorchir
Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) has launched its maternal and child health/ national primary health care development agency (MCH/NPHCDA) national ambulance services in Kiyi, a suburb of the Kuje Area Council.
In his welcome address, the Chairman Kuje Area Council, Hon. Ishaku Shaban Tete, said he was delighted to receive the Minister of State for Health/Supervising Minister of Health, Dr. Haliru Alhassan and FCT Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, for the formal launch of National Ambulance Services in Kuje Area Council.
He said the people of Kuje would ever remain grateful to President Jonathan for such a viable strategy, particularly in the health sector.
He added that its positive in the area “cannot be over-emphasised, adding that 30 midwives and community health workers were employed and posted to Kuje by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (MPHCDA).
According to him, these midwives run 24 hours shift duty in the various SURE-P designated health centres in Pagi, Gaube, Rubochi, Gudunkarya, Gwargwada, and Kiyi.
He added that SURE-P constructed and renovated some health centres in Rubochi, Kiyi, and Pagi, while additional rooms were provided for more health activities in the SURE-P health centres; boreholes were also provided in SURE-P health clinics in the area council, including the mobilistion of access to maternal health services (MAMA) kits for women “who are due for delivery” were also provided.
“Financial remunerations were given to pregnant women who have attended at least five times antenatal care before delivery. With the intervention of SURE-P programme, there have been various reductions in maternal morbidity and mortality rate in Kuje.”
Earlier, in his speech, the chairman SURE-P committee, General Martin Luther Agwai(retd), said the SURE-P national and child health and national primary health care development agency (MCH/NPHCDA) national ambulance service being flagged off “today is to fulfill President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda and to improve on maternal and child welfare in our country.”
He said the SURE-P was currently implementing in 100 health care facilities and 250 referral hospitals and referrer centres across the 36 state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT.)
He added that as at August last year, 1.2 million women had received antenatal care, while 200,000 babies had been delivered at the SURE-P support facilities.
The subsidy reinvestment and empowerment programme on maternal and child health (SURE-P MCH) was a direct intervention by the federal government, using the savings from the fuel subsidy removal to reduce the incidence of maternal and neonatal mortality.
