News Investigators/ The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has celebrated a landmark delivery at the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Azare.
A beneficiary of the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEmONC) programme gave birth to quadruplets.
Kelechi Ohiri, NHIA Director General, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the babies, two boys and two girls, were delivered via caesarean section on Sept. 18.
The mother, 35-year-old Mrs Hauwa Usman, was initially diagnosed with triplets and malpresentation of the fetus but remarkably delivered four healthy children.
Mr Ohiri visited the facility to congratulate the family and praised the husband for transporting his wife 35 kilometres from Gambaki village in Katagum Local Government Area to access life-saving CEmONC services.
He said that timely access to a tertiary facility saved the lives of both mother and babies, while protecting the family from potentially catastrophic medical expenses.
“CEmONC provides life-saving emergency care for women and newborns, including interventions for complications such as obstructed labour, haemorrhage, infections7 and malpresentation.
“The programme targets vulnerable populations in underserved areas like Gambaki village, and all treatments are covered free, ensuring maternal and child health while shielding families from financial burdens,” he said.
He reiterated NHIA’s commitment to advancing maternal and child healthcare through interventions.
Accordingtohim, it is in line with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative led by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
Meanwhile, Dr Dauda Katagum, Chief Medical Director of the facility, expressed appreciation to NHIA for the initiative.
Katagum said that 422 pregnant women had benefited from the programme, with the quadruplet delivery marking a historic first for the hospital.
Expressing his joy, Mallam Abubakar Adamu, father of the quadruplets , who is a peasant farmer, thanked NHIA for the care and appealed for financial assistance to support his growing family.
NAN reports that the Federal Government is taking comprehensive steps to improve maternal and child health outcomes across Nigeria.
Alongside upgrading primary healthcare facilities at the local government level, the government is establishing functional CEmONC centres in each Local Government Area.
These centres are vital for providing emergency obstetric and newborn care, ensuring that mothers have timely access to life-saving interventions during childbirth.
The initiative also includes a referral transport system to transfer patients from primary healthcare facilities to secondary centres when needed, guaranteeing that mothers and newborns receive appropriate care in case of complications.
Community health workers play a crucial role in complementing these efforts.
Acting as a bridge between communities and healthcare facilities, they generate demand for maternal and child health services and provide essential care at the grassroots level.
By empowering these workers and strengthening their connections with primary healthcare centres, the Federal Government aims to expand access to quality healthcare.
NAN
