Amuwo-Odofin Maternity Records Zero Mortality In 2021

Amuwo Odofin Maternal and Child Centre (AOMCC) in Lagos State achieved zero mortality out of a total of 493 birth deliveries it recorded between January and March this year.

According to figures made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the hospital’s normal deliveries were 246, while its caesarean section recorded 247 births during the first quarter of this year.

Dr Oladapo Soyinka, AOMCC Chief Medical Director, said that the feat was made possible following staff motivation and synergy with partners.

Soyinka, who spoke at the hospital’s Fourth Annual Stakeholders Meeting on Wednesday in Lagos, said that the number one cause of maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa was bleeding without immediate medical response.

The medical director said that AOMCC had at the beginning of the year set a vision of “No Mortality.”

“We decided that we will have zero tolerance for maternal mortality; any case that comes, we will give it our best shot,” he said.

He said to achieve that, the hospital’s staff were motivated by receiving rewards for every month that there was no record of maternal mortality.

Soyinka said apart from staff motivation, another major reason for the achievement of zero maternal mortality was the synergy between the hospital and its partners.

He reiterated that having a good rapport with them had helped reduced issues that could lead to complications and maternal mortality.

He noted that there were challenges which the hospital was able to salvage by having a responsive team.

He said: “We reached out to all the primary health centres, the Association of General Practitioners, traditional birth attendants, and made our numbers accessible.

“We are also working on early referrals, they can call to find out if there’s a bed space or call to let us know they are transferring a patient to us.

“The Chairman of traditional birth attendants in Amuwo Odofin, the Medical Officers of Oriade and Festac have my number and can call me and say, ‘somebody has been in labour and is bleeding.