The Long Walk to Delivery
For pregnant women and nursing mothers in Ilashe community, Lagos State, it takes them more than three hours by speedboat to access a not-up-to-standard maternal clinic for pre and post-natal health care Rebecca Ejifoma reports
It was a Tuesday morning. A handful of health journalists voyaged through water to Ilashe community in Lagos State. We sailed for a about 45 minutes then alighted and trekked to Ilashe community in less than 10 minutes. Surprisingly, the first thing that crosses the mind when you see Ilashe village is the setting of the play, ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe. The tents are like Okonkwo’s wives’ beautified with raffia crafts (bamboos) and palm fronds.
Today, unfortunately for the residents, years have strolled by. And many years are plotting to come by. Although this time, they hope their optimism won’t fail them for a change as promised during the April 2015 governorship election in the state.
Now, the puzzle is that pregnant women of Ilashe are in dire need of the basic amenities of life. Their needs are in the superlative order and their pleas have been bashed beyond repair. Some of their needs include a primary health facility.
Sadly, the optimal need of healthcare has been their one request and is still not met. The only health facility is three hours by road or one hour by boat and 15 minutes by flying boat before pregnant women - in emergency or normal delivery - can access one in Ibeshe area.
Meanwhile, the consequences of no clinic are the lack of awareness on immunisation after child birth and breastfeeding. They wait at home for medical outreaches.
Shalon Agbesi is aged 20. She told THISDAY that she had never given her baby girl – about 17 months old – immunisation. “I’ve not been to the hospital for immunisation. Not that I didn’t want to go but it is distant. By road, it’s three hours. But by boat, it is 700 naira for 45 minutes.”
With her baby cuddled solidly in her arms, she assured that her baby was doing fine even without immunisation. “A doctor comes here to do check-up on our babies. Her name is Auntie Nurse. She comes once in a while.”
Now, Blessing Gapo is another nursing mother with four months old baby. She says she is 18 and her baby girl, Imole, is four months old. Hear her experience.
“I got married early in 2015 from Takwabe, Victoria Island to this place. Since I gave birth I have neither been to any hospital here nor seen any.”
When asked her reasons, Gapo disclosed to THISDAY that nobody told her anything about immunisation. “I don’t know what that means. And I don’t know when my baby will be due for it?”
Unfortunately, it was also discovered that the nursing mothers do not know the right time to stop breastfeeding. While Gapo said she would stop her baby at 12 months, Agbesi and another mother affirmed they weaned theirs at age one. “Breastfeeding is for one year, right?” She asked.
Consequently, wife of the Bale and Woman Leader of the village, Mrs. Taiye Tetede lamented that transportation was the greatest challenge for them. “When our pregnant women fall into labour, there are no boats to take them across the water to the hospital most times.”
“Sometimes when we get to the riverbank, there will be no boat. We don’t have a clinic here for immunisation of our babies. We need boats and clinics here to always attend to our women and our children,” she said soberly.
Now, since pregnant women and nursing mothers have lived even without a health centre, Tetede emphasised: “Sometimes, we go to the health centre at Ibeshe; Trekking to Ibeshe beach first and then board a boat to Ibeshe town.”
On how they handle emergency cases of pregnant women, she explained that they hire boats. “Even if it is at midnight, we call boatmen on phone. We have their contacts.”
Although a profound interview with residents concluded that a sail to the health clinic in town cost 700 naira on a normal day, a boatman told THISDAY that to take a woman in labour to the hospital is, at least, 2000 naira.
The anonymous young boatman emphasised: “We take 2000 naira if we know the person – a friend – very well. It is big money (thousands) to sail her to the hospital. The tricycle driver seconded this statement when he said “Yes! It is like winning jackpot to drive a woman in labour to the health centre.”
Swiftly on the heels of their confessions, an elderly resident, Mr. Kosoko Dumeda decried the plights of their pregnant women. “Our women are really suffering. During delivery, if there are no boats, they will trek for three hours in that condition. Can you imagine that?”
Although he said their years of pleas simply showed that their voices had not been vocal enough, he affirmed, “All our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.”
Accordingly, he added that even with the new government, “They don’t remember us. But during the electioneering, they promised they would give us flying boats and establish a hospital for us. Till date, their promises are blank.”
Alternative for Immunisation
Dumeda said because it is stern to go down the hospital for immunisation, they have this leaf called Afuni they give to the babies as substitute. “It immunises them. Immunisation officials don’t come here at all. For where?
They are involved in self-medication. “Afuni leaf heals our babies of tied tongue, which could result in speech impediment. But if at midnight, a pregnant woman is having pains and difficulty in delivering, we have a leaf. It is slippery like okra.
“Once she drinks it, it pushes the baby out. I have done it successfully five times for our pregnant wives and daughters. After, delivery, I cut and do the necessary things. We treat her and care for her.”
Sometimes when we get to the riverbank, there will be no boat. We don’t have a clinic here for immunisation of our babies. We need boats and clinics here to always attend to our women and our children