Central Region lost 51 women through childbirth
Despite numerous interventions put in place by the Central Regional Health Directorate to check maternal mortality, 51 expectant mothers died during delivery in health facilities between January and August this year.
Dr. John Eleeza, Deputy Director of Health in charge of Public Health, described the figure as too high and stressed that the country was far from achieving “safe motherhood”.
He made the revelation at the regional launch of this year’s safe motherhood week on the theme: “healthy motherhood, healthy nation- the role of men” at Moree in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK) District on Tuesday.
He said women should go through the process without any problem and indicated that if the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on Health would be achieved then the issue should be critically addressed.
Some of the interventions put in place were the training of traditional birth attendants to give first hand assistance to expectant mothers before referring them to health facilities.
The Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Regional Health Service and transport unions to quickly transport pregnant women to health facilities for prompt attention.
Dr. Eleeza explained that the week was also to help bring to the fore the importance of safe motherhood by highlighting the processes of pregnancy, its complications and child birth as well as practices that culminated in healthy mothers and babies.
He consequently charged health facilities in the region to ensure that pregnant women were given prompt attention and quality care while they further strategize for post natal care to help prevent unnecessary deaths.
He expressed concern that most often teenagers who got pregnant were left to their fate by society and said maternal deaths were not limited to adults only but teenagers as well and therefore they needed not be ignored.
Dr. Eleeza also charged men to be part of the process of pregnancy, labour and delivery to help ensure good health for both mother and baby before and after delivery.
He gave the assurance that the Regional Health Directorate would continue to work hard to facilitate readily available, easily accessible and good quality maternal health services in all parts of the region.
The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe,in a speech read for her, pointed out that men are important stakeholders in the safe motherhood initiative.
She said they should therefore be interested in the health of their wives and accompany them to ante-natal clinics to boost their morale.
She said the government was working around the clock to help achieve the MDG 4 and 5 and commended transport unions in the region for their immense support to the Health Service toward the reduction of maternal deaths.
Source: GNA