Non- affordability spikes patronage of traditional birth attendants in Calabar

THE hike in the prices of goods and services, especially healthcare, istaking its toll on pregnant women, who have resorted to patronising Traditional Birth Attendants ( TBA) in Calabar.

The TBAS are communitybased healthcare providers during pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal. They are more affordable than theorthodox practitioners, but often risky because they rarely have formal training.

Findings revealed that there is a surge in the practice andpatronage, because of the high cost of accessing healthcare in private and governmentowned hospitals and clinics in the state.

Speaking with a cross- session of some pregnant women in sometba homes in Anantigha, Eserebo, and Jebs ar eas of Calabar South, they decried the high cost of antenatal care in both private and governmentowned hospitals in the area. Beatrice Essien, 36, who is ex - pecting her third baby , said that she hadher first and sec - ond babies in the general hospital, Calabar, when thecost of medicare was moderate. Now, the cost of antenatal care in the government and private hospitals has spiked beyond her reach.

Beyond this, she said that the cost of the too many laboratory tests requiredduring antenatal visits is unbearable.

“My second delivery in the general hospital was a very difficult onebecause I had to go through a Caesarean session, which cost over N120,000, excluding bed space and other hospital consumables. As a civilservant with a salary below that amount, I had to borrow money to settlethe bills.”

Another expectant mother, Uduakobong Etim, said though it is not herwish to patronise traditional birth attendants, she had no otheralternative because she could not afford the cost of antenatal inhospitals or clinics.

Many others, who spoke, also attributed this development mainly to the high cost of doctors’ consultations, hospital bills, and drugs.