Wa Municipal Health Directorate records decrease in maternal deaths
The Wa Municipal Health Directorate has recorded a decrease in maternal deaths from eight cases in 2010 to six cases in 2011.
The reduction according to the Municipal Health Authorities came as a result of an increase in the percentage of skilled deliveries from 78.9% in 2010 to 89.4% in 2011 with a corresponding decrease in Traditional Birth Attendance deliveries.
Mrs. Beatrice Kunfah, the Wa Municipal Director of Health Services, who announced this during an annual performance review meeting at Wa on Thursday said antenatal coverage also recorded a marginal increase from 107% to 108% respectively.
She attributed the impressive performance to a number of strategies and activities implemented by the Government through the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ghana Health (GHS) in collaboration with the Municipal Health Directorate, its partners and stakeholders.
These strategies and activities included the procurement of medical equipment, logistics and capacity building for midwives and other health staff to improve the quality of maternal health care in the Municipality.
Others are the declaration of zero tolerance for home delivery and maternal deaths, public sensitization on maternal and child health and the institution of pregnancy classes for all pregnant women in the Municipality among others.
Mrs. Kunfah noted however that the acute shortage of Midwives, Medical Assistants, Public Health Nurses and Field Technicians was affecting the quality and coverage of health services in the Municipality.
Other challenges she underscored include the increasing burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases in the Municipality, delay in the reimbursement of funds from the Health Insurance Scheme, office and staff accommodation as well as poor attitude of some staff.
Alhaji Yakubu Duogu, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said the launching of the KARMA Project in November last year in the Region by the First Lady, Mrs. Ernestina Naadu Mills, underscored the commitment of the government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in tackling the maternal mortality issue.
He said the Wa Municipal Assembly had also made three commitments to help improve quality health delivery in the Municipality.
National Ambulance Service personnel have been engaged on contract to transport pregnant women referred by their health centers to the Regional hospital.
Ten community health Nurses are being supported in various health institutions and the Assembly would facilitate the construction of a hostel at the Regional hospital to accommodate women with high risk pregnancies.
The MCE said the Assembly was also harboring a long term dream of constructing an operating theatre at the maternity ward of the Regional Hospital to serve the needs of women with complicated pregnancies.
Source: GNA