GHS to use mobile phones to improve maternal health

Awutu Beraku (C/R) Sept. 26, GNA - The Ghana Health Service (GHS) wil= l in December launch the Mobile Technology for Community Health (MOTECH) programme at Awutu Beraku in the Central Region to improve antenatal and postnatal care. The programme involves the registration of all pregnant women and nursing mothers with health facilities to enable the midwives, nurses and community health nurses to interact frequently with them about their health status through their mobile phones.

Mrs Patricia Antwi, Awutu-Senya District Director of Health Service, announced this at a workshop on the programme for Midwives, Public Health and Community Nurses at Awutu Beraku at the weekend. The workshop is a prelude to the launch of the programme, first launched in the Kassena Nankana District in the Upper East Region last year= , which is yielding results.

It was initiated by the Grameen Foundation, a US-headquartered Non-Governmental Organisation operating in Ghana, with the GHS and other US-based supporters 96 the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health University and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Mrs Antwi urged the participants to work hard at their various health centres and CHIP Zones to ensure the success of the programme. Participants were taken through the modalities of MOTECH. Ms Jacqui Moller Larse, Country Director of Grameen, expressed the hope that participants would utilize the knowledge and skills obtained towards the success of the programme. Dr John Eleeza, Central Regional Deputy Director of Public Health, commended the initiators of the programme for their efforts at helping to improve health delivery in the area.