No maternal death recorded at KSH in four years

Kumasi, Jan 7, GNA- The Kumasi South Hospital at Kyirapatre has for the past four years not recorded any maternal death, Mrs Vivian Addo-Kobbia, Senior Nursing Officer in-charge of the maternity ward has said.

She attributed this success to the continuous education of women and pregnant women by the staff and management of the hospital on the need for all pregnant women to report early for check up.

Speaking at a Private Public Partnership Relationship Intensification workshop in Kumasi on Wednesday, Mrs Addo-Kobbia said the Hospital had established Daddys Forum for husbands of pregnant women and other clients for regular interaction with them on how to improve on maternal health issues.

In addition, she said her outfit had been visiting churches to sensitise women on the need to use insecticide bed nets for pregnant women, nursing mothers and their children and the need to protect them from being anaemic during pregnancy.

The one-day workshop was organised by the Asokwa sub-metro of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for 22 midwives from the public and private maternity homes to share ideas on how to improve upon their services as health care providers.

Madam Elizabeth Sarfo-Adu, Principal Nursing Officer, Public Health, said the sub-metro recorded about 6,108 deliveries in 2004 as against targeted 11,349 deliveries targeted.

She said the target could not be met due to the fact that some pregnant women refused to attend ante-natal and post-natal clinics and described their behaviours as quite dangerous.

Madam Faustina Osei Mensah, a nursing officer, said 276 babies delivered at the hospital weighed less than 2.5 kilograms and described such a situation as "very dangerous".

She therefore called on pregnant women to report early to the hospital immediately they got pregnant and continue the visits for at least four times before delivery.