The Kano State Government has stepped up the implementation of the Task Shifting and Task Sharing (TSTS) policy across primary and secondary healthcare facilities as part of efforts to improve healthcare delivery and reduce maternal mortality, especially in rural areas.
The Director General of the Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board (SPHCMB), Professor Salisu Shehu, disclosed this during a meeting on the adaptation of the TSTS Policy on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health/Family Planning (MNCH/FP) organised by KanSLAM.
Professor Shehu explained that the nationally approved policy, which has been adopted by various states, was designed to address the shortage of trained medical personnel in hard-to-reach and underserved communities.
According to him, the initiative allows certain healthcare responsibilities traditionally handled by highly trained professionals to be delegated to lower-level healthcare workers under proper supervision.
He noted that the programme initially focused on strengthening antenatal care, urinalysis and ultrasound services at primary healthcare centres through the training of midwives and community health workers.
“However, under the Federal Government’s Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), the scope has expanded to include the identification and management of excessive bleeding, eclampsia, anaemia, infections and postpartum haemorrhage during pregnancy and childbirth,” he said.
Professor Shehu added that frontline healthcare workers are now trained to measure blood loss during delivery using calibrated drapes, identify silent signs of infection and provide emergency first aid before referring patients to higher facilities.
Expanded to childhood illnesses
He further revealed that the programme has been expanded to address childhood illnesses such as malaria, malnutrition and infections at the community level.
To strengthen implementation, Kano State has also introduced a mentorship initiative involving experienced doctors and nurses deployed across local government areas to supervise healthcare workers and ensure effective delivery of services.
Despite the progress recorded, Professor Shehu identified poor awareness, transportation challenges and delays in seeking medical attention as major obstacles affecting maternal healthcare delivery in rural communities.
He stated that emergency transport interventions introduced through NEMSAS, SEMSAS and RESMAT have supported the movement of pregnant women from remote communities to health facilities, with more than 12,500 women benefiting from the scheme within a few months.
