Maternal Death: Mimiko Tasks Akeredolu, Stakeholders to Build on Health Progammes

By Oluniyi Akintunde, Akure

The outgoing Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State has implored his successor, Governor-elect Rotimi Akeredolu to build on its mother and care health programme to totally eradicate maternal and child maternity in the state.

Mimiko gave this charge in Akure at the weekend during the 2nd anniversary of the ‘Agbebiye Initiative’, where all the stakeholders lauded the governor for the accomplishments made in the eight years of his administration, especially in the health sector.

He noted that the scheme was aimed at reducing maternal death rate in state and country at large by taking proper care of pregnant women and their babies during and after child delivery.

The governor recounted the efforts put into the programme by his government, particularly the Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), who were prevailed upon to desist from such harmful traditional practices and recruited as Agbebiye Vanguards across the 203 wards of the state.

According to him, the traditional birth attendants voluntarily gave up the service and were trained by the state government in various vocational skills to sustain themselves economically and offer them financial empowerment through soft loans.

Mimiko said a total of 14,121 babies were born safely through the initiative, emphasizing that the Abiye, Agbebiye and Orirewa initiatives of the state government has helped to drastically reduce maternal mortality.

He pointed out that the health initiatives would not have been successful without the cooperation of the personnel and stakeholders in the health sector, who zealously helped his administration to achieve the internationally acclaimed progresses.

The governor, whose tenure will expire in few days, tasked the personnel and stakeholders to give the incoming All Progressives Congress (APC) government to be led by Akeredolu maximum support so that the legacies will be sustained.

Mimiko said: “As God has given us the zeal and commitment to achieve all these feats in the health sector, I pray that God will put in the heart of the incoming government to continue with these good works.

“Don’t think that Mimiko is no longer the governor, and Dr. Adeyanju is not in charge of the ministry, you all have to cooperate with the incoming government to build on these successes for the benefit of mankind.

“I know that the next government too likes good things and I am so sure that he will cooperate with you. I too will not relent in the bid to advise Akeredolu on Agbebiye because what is good is always good”.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, in his welcome address earlier, stated that the Agbebiye initiative was a “celebration of gains from pains.”

Adeyanju lauded the outgoing governor for his robust political will to achieve all the hallmark programmes in the health sector and other sectors like education, transportation, urban and rural development.

He assured that the Agbebiye Initiative and other health-driven programmes for the people will be sustained beyond February 24, 2017 that their administration would bow out. He said necessary bills were before the state assembly for the sustenance of the programmes.