Sen Natasha advocates stronger healthcare ecosystem, better conditions for doctors

Omeiza Bilal

Senator Natasha H Akpoti-Uduaghan has called for a stronger and more functional healthcare ecosystem in Nigeria, with improved working conditions, remuneration and welfare packages for doctors, nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals.

The Senator made the call while speaking at the ongoing “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.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan said tackling maternal mortality required more than statistics, stressing that attention must also be paid to the realities confronting women, children and healthcare professionals at the point of service.

She maintained that healthcare workers, particularly those serving in underserved and rural communities, needed an enabling environment, adequate remuneration, functional equipment and professional support to effectively discharge their responsibilities.

According to her, improving the welfare of doctors and other healthcare professionals must be an integral component of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.

She said healthcare workers should have access to adequate remuneration, functional medical equipment, essential medicines, reliable electricity, conducive working environments and opportunities for continuous professional development.

The Senator stressed that infrastructure alone could not deliver quality healthcare without the human capital required to operate, maintain and sustain the system.

She therefore advocated a holistic healthcare framework that simultaneously addresses medical personnel, infrastructure, emergency services, equipment, medicines, electricity, water supply and professional welfare.

According to her, better conditions of service would help sustain the motivation and commitment of healthcare professionals, particularly those working in rural communities where medical personnel often operate under difficult circumstances.

Maternal mortality

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed concern over the continued challenge of maternal mortality, particularly among women in rural communities where access to quality healthcare and emergency services remains limited.

She questioned whether many rural health facilities had the personnel, equipment and supporting infrastructure required to manage complicated pregnancies, premature births 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.

.”The Senator also raised concerns about the sustainability of critical medical equipment in communities where electricity supply remains unreliable.“Are there electricity? Is there enough electricity in the rural areas to sustain the incubators wherever they are?”

She explained that the challenge was not merely about providing equipment, but ensuring that healthcare facilities had qualified professionals capable of operating the equipment and delivering appropriate care.She called for stronger referral systems linking rural primary healthcare centres with general and specialist hospitals, especially for women experiencing complicated pregnancies and other medical emergencies.

Sen Akpoti-Uduaghan further identified functional laboratories, adequate blood supplies, neonatal facilities, emergency transportation, reliable electricity and water supply as essential components of an effective healthcare ecosystem.

Rural women and maternal health data

The Senator also questioned whether available maternal mortality statistics fully 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 observed that repeated exposure to maternal deaths in some rural communities could make such tragedies appear normal, while some deaths may not be formally captured in official records.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan disclosed that her concerns about maternal healthcare in underserved communities had influenced her decision to build a maternity centre, stressing the importance of translating advocacy into practical interventions.

Reproductive choices

Speaking on reproductive choices, the Senator said her exposure to different healthcare systems and advocacy initiatives had broadened her understanding of the difficult circumstances confronting some women and girls.She called for support systems that would 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.”

The Senator acknowledged that constructive dialogue had also challenged some of her previously held views on reproductive choice.

“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, however, maintained that the welfare and future of children must remain central to conversations around pregnancy and reproductive health.

“If we all agree that the mother as 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.”

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan urged stakeholders to sustain constructive conversations around maternal healthcare, women’s rights and reproductive health, while calling for increased investment in healthcare infrastructure and the professionals responsible for delivering medical services.

She maintained that strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare ecosystem required simultaneous attention to the welfare of doctors and other health workers, rural healthcare infrastructure, medical equipment, essential medicines, emergency response systems, electricity, water supply and professional development.

According to the Senator, improving the conditions under which healthcare professionals operate would not only support doctors, nurses, midwives and other health workers but would also contribute to improving the quality, accessibility and reliability of healthcare services available to Nigerians, particularly women and children in underserved communities.