A midwife in Benin City, Mrs Juliet Ede, has raised concerns over the growing number of pregnant women in Edo State who fail to access antenatal care despite the availability of free maternal health services in public health facilities.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, Ede said many expectant mothers still rely on prayer houses and traditional remedies instead of seeking professional medical care, exposing themselves and their unborn babies to preventable complications. She noted that routine antenatal checks help detect and manage conditions such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and other pregnancy-related risks before they become life-threatening.
According to her, the health facility where she works recorded 20 deliveries last month, including five referrals and four near-miss cases involving women who had little or no antenatal care. She said health workers spent hours stabilising some of the patients, stressing that early registration could have prevented many of the complications.
Ede also revealed that maternal health services, including antenatal care, delivery, postnatal care and routine immunisation, are provided free of charge at government Primary Health Care centres under the Edo State Health Insurance Scheme’s Equity Plan. However, she lamented that many women remain unaware of the programme and often delay seeking medical attention due to financial concerns and misinformation.
She called for increased public awareness campaigns and greater collaboration among government agencies, health workers, religious leaders and traditional birth attendants to encourage early antenatal registration. According to her, improved attendance at antenatal clinics would significantly reduce maternal and infant mortality across communities in the state.
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