Two women identified as Violet Mbala
Ekor and Helen Isieg (pictured) have died after delivering in the home
of a woman who claimed to be a prophet in Ikom local government area of
Cross River State.
The women completed their ante-natal care in the Primary Health facilities in Nkarasi, Aabanyom ward of Ikom but chose to deliver in the home of Prophet Eka Maria Innocent John.
The report by Cross Rivers Watch said the prophet (pictured in the middle smiling while attending to visitors) has been preaching against pregnant women using Health Care Centres, claiming they evil spirits live there.
Abanyom ward is the largest in terms of the number of villages and health facilities in Ikom as it consists of 2 autonomous clans, 26 villages and boasts a record high 14 health facilities.
Helen Isieg, a native of Obubra bred in Abinti 1 community died on Wednesday after delivering and suffering post-partum hemorrhage. She was delivering her fourth child and the baby died a few minutes after her. She has since been buried in the community due to the war in her community which has claimed several lives. Her friend who declined mentioning her name said:
As at the time of visitation, her body was being prepared for burial while her husband, Odey John who lives in Edor was visibly in tears and could not fathom how he lost his wife about an hour after delivery.
The woman in question Eka Maria Innocent John Odo told CrossRiverWatch that she was trained in church to deliver women and denied telling the women to stay away from health centers as she always enlists the help of professionals when there is crisis.
It was later gathered that the nurses she
was referring to were actually community health practitioners who are
acting as volunteers in some health facilities around Abanyom ward.
When asked if she will like to be trained by government as a professional traditional birth attendant, she declined comment.
She said she had no idea how many women had delivered successfully in her house, neither are there records of death and did not demonstrate knowledge of any ante-natal, natal and post-natal care despite saying she holds a ministration service for pregnant women every Wednesday from 7 – 9:00 AM where they are advised to fast so that she can “see vision.”
She has also begun her ministry; Supreme Light Church which is a dark room about 10 feet by 12 feet in size.
Source: Cross River Watch
The women completed their ante-natal care in the Primary Health facilities in Nkarasi, Aabanyom ward of Ikom but chose to deliver in the home of Prophet Eka Maria Innocent John.
The report by Cross Rivers Watch said the prophet (pictured in the middle smiling while attending to visitors) has been preaching against pregnant women using Health Care Centres, claiming they evil spirits live there.
Abanyom ward is the largest in terms of the number of villages and health facilities in Ikom as it consists of 2 autonomous clans, 26 villages and boasts a record high 14 health facilities.
“They have been going for ante-natal care (ANC) in the Health Centre at Nkarasi 1 but this Eka woman usually tells them that they should not deliver in the health centers as the health centers are occupied with witches and wizards,” a senior health staff told CRW reporter.
"The community people told me she always advises the pregnant women in labor to come with only one person, mostly their husbands as others are witches."
Helen Isieg, a native of Obubra bred in Abinti 1 community died on Wednesday after delivering and suffering post-partum hemorrhage. She was delivering her fourth child and the baby died a few minutes after her. She has since been buried in the community due to the war in her community which has claimed several lives. Her friend who declined mentioning her name said:
“She had gone to the church and when she was going into labor, was asked to stay back. She did and when there were complications, the Traditional Birth Attendant called the Health Officer at Nkarasi Health Centre who told them to take her to the clinic but they refused, they called on Wednesday morning again and she insisted that they take her to the facility but they did not and she died with the baby dying shortly after.The second woman, Violet Ekor, registered at the Health Post in Nkim, 30 seconds away from her home but when it was time for about delivery, she decided to go to the said Eka lady and she died of PPH at about 12:00 AM on Thursday after delivering a baby girl at about 11:00 PM on Wednesday.
As at the time of visitation, her body was being prepared for burial while her husband, Odey John who lives in Edor was visibly in tears and could not fathom how he lost his wife about an hour after delivery.
The woman in question Eka Maria Innocent John Odo told CrossRiverWatch that she was trained in church to deliver women and denied telling the women to stay away from health centers as she always enlists the help of professionals when there is crisis.
“I was trained in my church, the Apostolic church on how to attend to women in labor. It is a gift from God,” she said and added that: “When there are challenges, I call Nurse Juliet and Nurse Rose to come and attend to them but I don’t tell them not to go to health centers as they always go for ante-natal there but only come here for delivery.”
When asked if she will like to be trained by government as a professional traditional birth attendant, she declined comment.
She said she had no idea how many women had delivered successfully in her house, neither are there records of death and did not demonstrate knowledge of any ante-natal, natal and post-natal care despite saying she holds a ministration service for pregnant women every Wednesday from 7 – 9:00 AM where they are advised to fast so that she can “see vision.”
She has also begun her ministry; Supreme Light Church which is a dark room about 10 feet by 12 feet in size.
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