Nurse performs delivery in tricycle due to lack of delivery bed

Yunbow Michael Jordan, a principal community health nurse at Bonkro in the Afram Plains South district, Eastern Region, delivered a pregnant woman in a tricycle due to the absence of a delivery bed at the CHPs compound facility.

Justina Kwame, 32, arrived at the facility on December 29, 2023, intending to deliver her child.

However, the lack of a delivery bed prompted the community health nurse to transport her to Maame Krobo clinic.

Unexpectedly, labor began around 10:00 am in the midst of their journey.

Undeterred by the challenging circumstances, Nurse Yunbow Michael Jordan successfully delivered the baby boy in the tricycle.

Following the delivery, both mother and newborn were promptly transferred to Maame Krobo clinic for further medical attention.

Nurse Jordan recounted the challenging situation, stating, “they came to Bonkro to deliver, but we don’t have a delivery bed, so we were taking her to Krobo when labor set in, and I had to deliver her in the tricycle. We didn’t have water and other delivery items with us, but we managed. When we reached the next community, we requested water to keep both mother and baby clean.”

The incident sheds light on the healthcare challenges faced by communities in the Afram Plains South Area, marked by deplorable roads and inadequate access to health facilities and midwives.

Nurse Yunbow Michael Jordan, also a BSc. Public Health student nurse at Wisconsin International University College, has a history of such delivery interventions.

In 2018, he assisted a pregnant woman in labor while en route to Dome, a remote community in the area, highlighting the persistent challenges in the region’s healthcare infrastructure.

Statistics from the Eastern Regional Health Directorate reveal concerning figures of maternal deaths.

89 institutional maternal mortalities were recorded in 2021 while 62 cases were recorded between January to September in 2022.

The Eastern Regional Health Director, Dr. Winfred Ofosu, expressed deep concern over the high number of maternal mortality in the region, emphasizing that every maternal death carries significant social implications for families and communities.

He highlighted the ripple effect on children left orphaned, husbands losing wives, and the overall societal impact.

Dr. Ofosu stressed the link between maternal deaths and high disability rates among women.

Each maternal death, he noted, is associated with approximately 15 more women experiencing various forms of disabilities resulting from pregnancy or childbirth complications.

To address this pressing concern, the Eastern Regional Health Directorate of Ghana Health Service in 2022 launched the “Zero Tolerance for Maternal Deaths” initiative under the theme “Stop Preventable Maternal Deaths and Disability.”

Dr. Ofosu emphasized that many maternal deaths are preventable, pointing to issues like blood shortages in health facilities, and delays in transporting and referring pregnant women due to poor road networks and inadequate ambulances.