The Bauchi State Government has welcomed the engagement of 100 Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs) to work in maternity units across all Primary Healthcare Centers in the state.
The engagement, facilitated by the Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) Project, aims to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates.
This was disclosed by the state commissioner of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Sani Mohammed Dambam.
The Commissioner was speaking at the orientation of the newly contracted SBAs held in Bauchi on Sunday stressing that, “Your engagement is to bridge the gap in human resources for health at the primary health care level which is the closest facilities to community members”.
The Commissioner further said that the State Government has sustained efforts in providing policy direction and funding to the health sector especially as it relates to women and children.
He warned that the State will not tolerate misconduct from any of them, adding that it will appreciate commitment and dedication to duty through adequate reward system.
Speaking earlier, the Project Manager, IMPACT Project, Dr Mohammed Adamu said that the orientation was to define their roles, responsibilities, and the critical impact their work will have in improving maternal and newborn health outcomes in the facilities the project is supporting.
According to him, “We, at the project, realized that the State has inadequate skilled birth attendants, especially at the PHCs level which is why IMPACT Project engaged 100 SBAs.
“The SBAs comprise Community Midwives (CW) and Community Health Extension Workers (CHEW) to promote safe delivery and reduce the indices of maternal and infant mortality”.
Mohammed Adamu also said the SBAs were picked from the pool of volunteers who were working in the Primary Healthcare Centers across the State.
He, however, noted that the newly contracted SBAs have been deployed to maternity units where they are expected to manage normal and complicated labour, Antenatal care, postnatal and family planning services.
According to him, “To make your work comfortable, IMPACT has renovated existing accommodations and constructed new ones where it is lacking, renovated 124 PHCs and provided them with solar power and boreholes”.
Mohammed Adamu further said that the project will track performance using an online application that will be installed on their mobile phones detailing their locations.
He stressed that “Also, IMPACT will provide the latest 4D ultrasound machines to Secondary health facilities across the State”.
The Project Manager added, “I want to inform you that anyone who doesn’t accept her place of posting should resign honorably, your stipends will be sent directly to your various health facilities and before you resume, your salary has been paid to the facility so there is no room for complaints”.
Also speaking, Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed told the SBAs that their contract is to save the lives of pregnant women and children in underserved communities.
Represented by the Provost, Aliko Dangote College of Nursing Sciences, Bauchi, Rekiya Saleh, the EC said, “Your work also involves mobilising pregnant women to come to the facility for services, and you need to have an attitudinal change to be able to do that”.
Five SBAs have been deployed to each of the 20 local government areas of Bauchi state for an initial period of six months pending if the project will be extended.
Some of the SBAs expressed happiness over the development saying that their voluntary service to humanity has finally paid off after a long time assuring that they will put in their best more than what they had done before.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
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