Eleven births at Dormaa hospital on Christmas eve

Dormaa-Ahenkro (B/A) Dec. 29, GNA - The Presbyterian Hospital at Dormaa Ahenkro in Brong-Ahafo registered 11 births on the eve of Christmas Day. Four out of the number were stillbirth, while the survivors were made up of four boys and three girls. Miss Rose Nyame Adom, Deputy Director of Nursing Services at the hospital told Ghana News Agency that the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme had encouraged expectant mothers to patronize the hospital more than before.

"The hospital's maternity ward, which was originally designed to cater for 18 mothers is now being over-stretched to provide natal-care for pregnant women from Dormaa District, parts of the Western Region and neighbouring Cote d'Ivoire", she said. Miss Adom said the situation sometimes compelled the maternity department to either create floor beds or fall on other wards to enable them to provide accommodation for the women.

She appealed to the government, philanthropists, NGOs and well-meaning citizens and individuals to help expand the maternity ward to enable it to respond adequately to the growing demand. Madam Mary Bio, Principal Midwifery Superintendent in charge of the maternity ward appealed for more nurses as the few ones could not cope with the current workload.

She condemned the practice of keeping pregnant women at home till their conditions got worse before rushing them to the hospital for attention. Miss Bio advised husbands not to hesitate to send their pregnant wives to the hospital as soon as they showed signs of labour. Dec. 29 05