Jigawa Stage government has donated 19 vehicles to communities for easy conveyance of pregnant women to hospitals during labour.Presenting nine vehicles to ni-ne communities yesterday, the state commissioner of women af-fairs, Hajiya Fatima Widi Jalo, said the gesture was extended to the communities under the sta-te government's programme 'Haihuwa lafiya'.

Hajiya Fatima said so far 18 communities have benefited from the programme, as according to her nine vehicles were earlier distributed to nine other communities as first batch of the humanitarian gesture.

She also said 174 communities are expected to benefit from the programme.

The commissioner said while the health ministry is responsible for equipping hospitals and healthcare centres with necessary facilities, its women affairs counterpart is committed in equipping manpower resources for effective manning of the facilities.

Hajiya Fatima also said the vehicles were handed over to the Emergency Maternal care teams in the affected communi-ties for effective maintenance, stating that the teams are responsible for managing the vehicles.

She said the ministry and the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) have trained some drivers that are going to handle the vehicles on emergency driving.

The commissioner also said traditional rulers and Islamic scholars have been incorporated in the programme, as according to her they have been assisting the programme through rigorous enlightenment at various capacities.

The benefited communities were selected from Kaugama, Birniwa, Jahun, Miga, Sule-Tan-karkar, Kiri-Kasamma, Kafin-Hausa, Maigatari, Gwiwa and Taura local government areas.