Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

NPC affirms Emir Sanusi’s birth control, moderation call

By Oludare Richards, Abuja
26 April 2017   |   4:15 am
The NPC boss said that while the National Population Policy preaches moderation, a family can decide to have as many children as they can cater for. He said birth control is not imposed on anyone but it is by "individual preference".

Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II

Celebrates first National Hospital quintuplets

The National Population Commission (NPC) has mirrored itself with the call for birth control by the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, saying it is equally what the National Population Policy stands for.

The NPC Chairman, Eze Duruiheoma (SAN), during a courtesy visit to a member of staff of the commission, Mrs Oluwakemi Uduehi, who gave birth to quintuplets, last Thursday at the National Hospital, Abuja, said, “it is not a matter of me subscribing to the Emir’s call. The National Population Commission encourages that”.

“The National Population Policy which we have in this country encourages parents, families to bring to the world as many number of children they can take responsibility for. That is very important.”

The NPC boss said that while the National Population Policy preaches moderation, a family can decide to have as many children as they can cater for. He said birth control is not imposed on anyone but it is by “individual preference”.

While responding to questions on challenges of births and deaths’ statistics, he conceded to the view that not all births and deaths in the country are registered. He also agreement that the Commission has problems in the specific area.

“You know this country is so vast, therefore to cover over 900,000 square metres is not an easy task,” he said. He however noted that NPC has always encouraged registration of births and deaths and the births of the quintuplets had in fact already been registered.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the National Hospital, Dr. Jafaru Momoh, on his part, agree with the statement of the NPC boss that the number of children a family chooses to have is a matter of choice and endowment.

He explained that Mrs. Uduehi was referred to the hospital for care but is registered to the National Health Insurance S (NHIS) for care as a public servant. He explained that she was received in the obstetrics and gynaecology because of her multiple gestation by a team of medical workers led by a Dr. Ladipo.

Following the ultrasound, it was discovered that there were five babies and not the initially perceived four. He further explained that she was prepared for delivery by another team led by a Dr. Audu, which was done by Caesarian Section at an unusual but medically convenient 34 weeks.

Dr. Momoh pointed out that the quintuplets birth was the first by the National Hospital, Abuja. While the hospital havs have several triplet and quadruplet births, the quintuplets will be the first ‘birth and care’ by the hospital.

He added that the hospital had been, before now, getting referrals for such deliveries but mostly premature births. Though there is an Invitro-fertilization Unit in the hospital where multiple gestations have been recorded. This is the first natural quintuplet birth it has recorded as opposed to fertility treated births.

0 Comments