By Muhammed Nasir Shuaibu (Bauchi State Correspondent)
A Non-governmental Healthcare Development Outreach Projects, in collaboration with Multi Intervention Development Initiatives, has trained 400 Community Healthcare Volunteers on Maternal, Infant mortality and prevention of epidemic and communicable diseases.
The training is to provide free healthcare delivery services in rural areas across the 20 Local Governments Areas in Bauchi State .
Speaking during the commencement of the four days Mentorship Intensive Training on Friday at the Bauchi Specialist Hospital Project Coordinator of Healthcare Development Outreach Projects, Abubakar Ahmed, said the program also include sensitization awareness of the participants on Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene of the selected participants
Ahmed explained that the objectives of the mentorship training is to reduce the maternal and infant mortality rate from 30 to 45 percent within six months as well as prevention of epidemic and communicable diseases through awareness on environmental sanitation and hygiene in the pilot states.
Ahmed said, "In another aspect, the aims of this projects is envisage towards creating Jobs opportunities by engaging healthcare professionals who are not working with government hospitals and other private hospitals so that they can be assigned to conduct free healthcare delivery services to the vulnerable in rural communities across the 20 LGAs in Bauchi state to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates."
Ahmed revealed that the duration of the project is slated for six months to see the impact and outcome of the project. "It may extend to two to four years if there is a significant outcome.
"We are going to give the participants intensive training including practical assessment to be conducted here in the specialist hospital. Thereafter, we will provide the equipment to the participants to commence healthcare services across the LGAs to support the masses and other vulnerable people who do not have access to health facilities," he said.
Ahmed further disclosed that a total of 220 participants were mobilized from 11 LGAs of Bauchi South and Bauchi Central senatorial zones. "We are going to mentor them on intensive health-related training aspect for four days and practical assessment will be conducted at the Specialist Hospital.
Thereafter, we will move to the Northern part of Bauchi to be hosted by COU Azare which consists of seven LGAs of Bauchi North including two LGAs of Dambam and Missau from Bauchi Central ."
Ahmed noted that the rate of maternal and infant mortality is a source of concern in Bauchi State. "We encountered a huge number of maternal mortality recently due to lack of medical personnel and healthcare facilities in the rural areas. By God's Grace, the project will boost healthcare delivery services at the grassroots and also engage our teaming youths to be self-reliant", he stated. NNL.
