A heart-wrenching incident unfolded when a 14-year-old girl faced a devastating consequence for seeking medical care during her childbirth. According to reports, the teenage mother experienced complications during delivery, necessitating her immediate transfer to the hospital. Tragically, there were no female medical practitioners available at the time, leaving the girl with no option but to be attended to by a male doctor.
The Executive Director of Nana Women and Girls Initiative, Dr. Fatima Adamu, brought attention to this distressing event and raised concerns about the lack of gender equity in the recruitment and deployment of medical personnel, particularly in rural communities.
Dr. Adamu shared that the young Fulani girl encountered difficulties during childbirth, and the male medical practitioner at the hospital played a vital role in successfully delivering her baby. However, when the girl's husband arrived and learned about the male doctor's involvement, he reacted with anger and shockingly decided to divorce her on the spot.
“A 14-year-old Fulani girl in Katsina State delivered and had difficulty with delivery, so we had to take her to the hospital, and after the delivery, the husband divorced her because she was attended by a man. This young girl was divorced all because she was attended by a man during delivery,” Dr. Adamu lamented.
Dr. Adamu further highlighted the critical issue of a shortage of health workers, emphasizing that the current production of healthcare professionals falls significantly below the nation's needs. With a population growth rate of 3.2, the annual production of nurses and midwives stands at only 2.6, creating a concerning gap in meeting healthcare demands. This data underscores the importance of addressing and rectifying the scarcity of medical personnel to ensure adequate and timely care for all citizens, irrespective of gender or location.