Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi Central, has called for improved remuneration, working conditions and welfare packages for doctors, nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals to encourage them to remain in rural and underserved communities.
Gatekeepers News reports that the senator made the call at the “Unfinished” event organised by Ward-C in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), where she participated in discussions on maternal health, women’s rights and reproductive choices.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said tackling maternal mortality required more than focusing on statistics, stressing the need to address the realities faced by women, children and healthcare workers at the point of care.
She said better welfare for healthcare professionals should be a key component of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system and improve access to quality care in underserved communities.
‘Infrastructure cannot work without human capital’
Akpoti-Uduaghan said investments in healthcare infrastructure would have limited impact without the skilled personnel required to operate and maintain medical facilities and equipment.
She questioned whether health centres in rural communities had adequate personnel, electricity and equipment to manage complicated pregnancies and neonatal emergencies.
“When you want to tackle maternal mortality, either speaking from the side of your choice, or a woman who is married, has carried on her baby full term, walks into a hospital, a baby who was born premature and needs access to incubators, oxygen in villages,” she said.
The lawmaker also raised concerns about the sustainability of critical medical equipment in areas with unreliable electricity supply.
“Is there electricity? Is there enough electricity in the rural areas to sustain the incubators wherever they are?” she queried.
According to her, providing equipment alone would not address the problem unless qualified health workers were available to operate the equipment and provide appropriate care.
‘Maternal mortality data may not reflect rural reality’
The senator also questioned whether official maternal mortality figures adequately captured the experiences of women in rural communities.
“I don’t think that data is really reflective of the situation in the rural communities. It will probably double up,” she said.
She noted that repeated exposure to maternal deaths could make such tragedies appear normal in some communities, while deaths that occur outside formal healthcare settings may not be captured in official statistics.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also called for stronger support systems to provide women facing difficult pregnancy-related circumstances with access to information, counselling and appropriate assistance.
“Public spaces, you see, the health lines, people down there, sometimes government sponsored, sometimes sponsored by civil societies or charities, willing to help young girls who are confused, lost to make decisions either to abort or those who want to carry the pregnancy full term,” she said.
The senator said discussions on reproductive choices had also caused her to reconsider some of her previously held positions.
“If I myself can be made to tilt from being pro-life to reasonably begin to appreciate the reason for choice, then I think I would say that I would love to support this kind of conversation,” she stated.
She, however, maintained that the welfare and future of children should remain central to discussions around pregnancy and reproductive health.
“If we all agree that the mother is the first parent of the child, then you would also agree that it’s very important to ensure that every child is born into a home, that there is love and there is nurture,” she added.
