Free Maternal Healthcare: Uduaghan Tells Pregnant Women to Resist Extortion

July 23, 2014 – Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has warned pregnant women and nursing mothers not to give money to anybody since the cost of their medicare has been covered by the Delta State Government’s Free Maternal and under-five Healthcare programme.

Uduaghan gave the warning on Tuesday while giving antenatal talk to pregnant women at the Mother and Child Centre at the Central Hospital, Warri.

Uduaghan who inquired from the women if doctors and nurses were collecting money from them urged the women to resist any attempt to force them to pay for healthcare.

“You are not to give money to anybody, you should not make any payment, even if it requires operation, it is free and your children who are five years and below have free medical attention,” the governor said.

He advised the expectant mothers to keep their antenatal clinic appointments religiously in the interest of their health and their unborn babies.

“You must come here and deliver your babies, do not register for ante-natal and when it is time for delivery, you leave the hospital and go to meet one woman because everybody (nurses) you see here are professionals,” reiterating, “keep your regular appointments so that you will have safe delivery.”

The governor also charged the women to ensure that their children got routine immunization, noting, “you must immunize your children, you must breast feed your children.”

Uduaghan urged women who have four children to meet nurses and doctors in government hospitals for counseling on effective family planning while also stressing the need for proper child spacing.

Women who spoke at the occasion thanked Governor Uduaghan for providing state-of –the- arts facilities freely for them and their children.