The Rotary Club of Revolution Lagos, District 9112, has distributed delivery kits to pregnant women in Ikeja, as part of efforts to support safer childbirth and reduce the burden on mothers.
Speaking during the presentation Monday in Lagos, the Club President, Dr Bonaventure Igboanugo, described the event as his ‘first official assessment’ since he assumed the office on July 1.
According to reports, the beneficiaries were dully registered pregnant women at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.
The expectant mothers received safe birth kits containing bathtub, a nursing mother bag, cord clamps, cotton wool, sanitary pads, surgical blades, mentholated spirit, mucus extractors among others.
Igboanugo explained that the gesture was aimed at easing the cost of delivery materials for the women.
He said that the initiative builds on a similar intervention last year, when the club provided pregnant women at Primary Healthcare Centre, Ogba, with birth kits.
According to him, the initiative revolves around the missions of rotary club, which focus on child and maternal health, marked annually in the month of July according to the club’s calendar.
“This month of July happens to be the maternal and child health month according to one of the seven areas of focus in Rotary. So this month we try to prioritise mothers and children health.
“Today, over 200 expectant mothers at different stages of their pregnancy received the amazing free delivery kits for themselves as well as when the child comes out.
“This is our own little way of showing that we care and wish the women a safe delivery,” Igboanugo said.
The Chairman, Maternal & Child Health of the club, Mr Jonathan Onyeulo, described the gesture as a “more elaborate one”, saying that 11 zonal clubs of Rotary in Lagos pulled resources together to execute it.
According to him, there is plan in the pipeline for further expansion of the programme so that more women and children can benefit.
The President-elect, Rotary Club of Revolution Lagos, Ms Adesola Ogunnaike, reiterated the impacts of the initiative, which has been a yearly programme of the club.
Ogunnaike, however, urged the women to prioritise their health, while embracing family planning, stressing that the journey of child birth was not an easy one.
“Out of the club’s seven areas of focus, maternal and child health has been germane and it has impacted the society positively.
“Being an annual programme, a lot of women and families have testified how it helped them,” she said.
A Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician, LASUTH, Dr Modupe Adedeji, commended the club for the gesture and outreach which created awareness on pregnancy and childbirth.
Delivery a health talk at the programme, Adedeji identified lack of information as major contributor to child and maternal death often resulting from some naughty decisions/errors people make.
“Pregnancy, labour and delivery are not things to joke with. Once a woman is pregnant anti-natal starts. The whole aim is to ensure that no woman dies as result of child birth,” Adedeji said.
Two of the beneficiaries, Mrs Gafirat Ojelade and Mrs Erin Adedamola expressed appreciation for the gesture, describing it as a big relieve.
