Posted by Chinenye on Wed 09th Sep, 2026 - tori.ng
A new warning from a leading medical expert has exposed a troubling reality facing pregnant women in Nigeria: reaching a hospital may not always mean getting the care needed to survive.
(UNN Enugu Campus. Photo by Punch News)
A Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, George Ugwu, has warned that simply getting to a hospital is no longer enough to guarantee women survive childbirth complications in Nigeria.
He said new research shows that even when pregnant women reach major hospitals alive, they still die because of broken systems, missing equipment, staff shortages and delays inside the hospitals.
George Ugwu, who also serves as Enugu State's Health Commissioner, presented these findings at an inaugural lecture at the University of Nigeria.
His study titled "The Mother, The Child and The State: My Triumphant Journey from Evidence to Action" examined data from 42 public hospitals across the country.
The research tracked nearly 92,000 births and found nearly 2,500 cases of severe pregnancy complications, including over 1,400 near-death situations and almost 1,000 maternal deaths.
The study, called "When getting there is not enough," showed that arriving at a hospital does not guarantee survival when blood supplies, operating theatres, equipment or trained staff are not ready.
George Ugwu explained that having the right diagnosis means nothing if the tools and resources needed to act on that diagnosis are missing.
He recalled a tragic case early in his career where a pregnant woman bled to death in a labour ward because she had not been booked in advance.
Nigeria accounts for roughly 3 per cent of the world's population but is responsible for nearly 29 per cent of all maternal deaths globally.
To stop these preventable deaths, George Ugwu called for the immediate creation of early pregnancy assessment units with resident doctors and working ultrasound machines in all public hospitals.
He also warned that nearly 80 per cent of Nigerian healthcare workers are trying to leave the country because of insecurity, poor pay and lack of equipment.
To keep skilled workers, he said, the government must provide proper working conditions.
George Ugwu urged state governments to adopt an international framework focused on making healthcare available, accessible, affordable and of good quality.
He also asked the National Assembly to increase funding for basic healthcare from 1 per cent to 5 per cent of government revenue to ensure sustainable support for mothers and children.