Nurses manning CHPS zones should know all pregnant women

Nurses posted to Community Health Planning Services (CHPS) Zones, must know all pregnant women in their catchment areas personally as well as their homes, says Dr Felix Doe, Hohoe Municipal Director of Health.

This, he, said, would enable them trail their state of health of the pregnant women to the time of delivery.

The proposal is under the Family Nurse model established as method to reach pregnant women and nursing mothers, as Ghana makes frantic moves to meet the Millennium Development Goals of lowering rate of child mortality and improving maternal health.

Dr Doe was speaking at Likpe-Mate, during the handing over of structures for a CHPS Compound to the Ghana Health Service.

It was constructed by Plan International-Ghana, with Funding from Takara Kenzai Company Limited, a Japanese construction firm.

Dr Doe said four pregnant have died from January- July in the municipality, explaining that the delay in getting to health facilities is the major cause of maternal deaths.

Dr Doe said a scheme had started in the municipality to reward traditional birth attendants, who would lead a client to the hospital to deliver.

He said additionally all women who deliver at the health facilities in the area would get soap as a gift.

Total cost of the project, which has two rooms for consultation, treatment and child and maternal care, is $ 23,000 and furnished with a water tank, fridge for storing vaccines, Veronica Buckets and examination and treatment wares.

Mrs Rose Beyuo-Siilo, Regional Programme Unit Manager, Plan International-Ghana, expressed the hope that the health authorities would provide technocrats to man the shed.

She urged the inhabitants to patronise the facility so that it does not become a white elephant.

Mrs Beyuo-Siilo, said Plan International-Ghana, a pro-poor support NGO, is intervening in child protection, economic security, education, health, water and sanitation, among others. Mr Seth Asomaning, Municipal Development Officer of Plan International-Ghana said the project, implemented through a local management committee, took a year to complete and was based on a needs assessment survey.

Mr Samuel Opoku-Darko, Community Facilitator, Plan International-Ghana, for Hohoe said the project was necessitated by the high population in Likpe-Mate, including students from a senior high school and bad roads leading to health facilities around.