- ‘Practice responsible for high incidence of maternal, infant deaths’
The National President, Association of Christian Theologians, Prof. Olakunle Macaulay, has said it is unethical for churches to operate maternity centres, blaming the practice for the worsening maternal and infant mortality rate in
Nigeria.
Macaulay, who spoke with our correspondent, argued that the involvement of churches in the running of maternity homes and clinics had resulted in the high incidence of maternal and infant mortality in the country.
“Providing and receiving maternity care, all in the name of faith and prayer for easy delivery, is pure nonsense. The church is about salvation of souls, it has nothing to do with health. Having a maternity in the church is very wrong; it is a satanic system of looking for money from people.”
Maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.
According to UNICEF reports, Nigeria loses an estimated 2,300 children under the age of five and 145 women of child-bearing age every single day, accounting for the second largest number of maternal and child deaths in the world.
The ACTs president, however, argued that since Nigeria had several medical centers with well-trained professionals across the country, religious organisations should not get involved in providing such medical services.
”We have many hospitals, maternity centres and clinics in the country. So, what is the business of the church having a clinic? It is wrong. If you want to have a hospital for the advantage of the pregnant people, it is a different thing; it has nothing to do with the work of the church,”
he said.
Macaulay noted that the church should be concerned with the salvation of souls and destroying evil forces such as untimely death or loss.
He added that being a Christian, a person was already saved in terms of protection and provision.
Macaulay said, “It covers everything. Using faith to give birth in the church is wrong. One’s faith should be in Christ and the work of Christ on the cross. God has completed his job, it is left for us to accept these things. Churches have created so many gods. The work of the church is not the medical aspect of it, but salvation of the soul. When Jesus said, ‘Go into the world and preach the word of God,’ the Bible says the disciples went and God went with them; as they were preaching, God was performing miracles.
“So, I don’t see why a church will also operate as a maternity clinic.”
The ACTs president stressed that the medical profession required expertise, adding that if a church wanted to have a hospital or maternity, it should register such a centre with the Federal Government and appropriate authorities, rather than hiding under
religion.
