The Niger State Government has inaugurated N100 million worth of Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care equipment at selected general hospitals across the state, part of a targeted effort to reduce maternal and newborn mortality.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Murtala Muhammad-Bagana, disclosed this during the inauguration ceremony at the Umaru Sanda Ndayako General Hospital in Bida. He said the intervention focuses on preventing maternal and newborn deaths by ensuring rapid and effective management of obstetric haemorrhage, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, obstructed labour, sepsis, and emergency caesarean sections.
The Umaru Sanda Ndayako General Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, selected for the pilot upgrade, serve a combined catchment population of nearly two million people, including about 400,000 women of reproductive age.
“For us in Niger, no mother should lose her life while bringing forth new life,” Muhammad-Bagana said. “To make this standard of care a reality, these vital upgrades have been targeted at two strategic anchor facilities: the Umaru Sanda Ndayako General Hospital, Bida, and the Federal Medical Centre, Bida.”
He explained that the facilities do not operate in isolation but serve as a critical clinical safety net for an expansive catchment area. Together, they anchor health security for communities across Bida, Agaie, Katcha, Gbako, Edati, and Lavun, among others, as part of a major expansion of Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care services across the state.
According to the commissioner, the medical equipment, commodities, and consumables were procured through a strategic partnership between the Niger State Government and the Federal Government. He described the investment as a significant milestone in the state’s efforts to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths, adding that the upgrades align with Governor Umaru Bago’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery.
Enhancing the capacity of the facilities, he noted, would help reduce referral delays and ensure timely, quality care when every minute counts.
Inaugurating the equipment, the Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the Niger Council of Traditional Rulers, Yahaya Abubakar, commended the government for the investment. He said the new equipment would improve healthcare outcomes for residents of Bida and neighbouring communities.
Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care refers to a package of lifesaving emergency services provided to women and newborns during pregnancy, labour, delivery, and the immediate postnatal period. It includes emergency caesarean sections, blood transfusions, management of severe bleeding, eclampsia, obstructed labour, and sepsis, as well as newborn resuscitation and other essential emergency care.
