Savana Signatures presents ICT equipment to hospitals

Savana Signatures, a non-governmental organization (NGO), has presented Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment, to five health facilities to aid the implementation of its Mobile 4 Access project.

The equipment included laptop computers, projectors, projector screens, smart phones and power point presentation pointers, and the beneficiary facilities were Gushegu District Hospital, Salaga District Hospital, Daboya Polyclinic, Bimbilla District Hospital and Buipe Health Centre.

The Mobile 4 Access project, previously referred to as Technology for Maternal Health, being implemented by Savana Signatures since 2011, aims to complement government’s efforts at reducing maternal and infant mortality.

The project promotes measures needed to help reduce pre-natal and neo-natal morbidity and mortality at the beneficiary facilities using technology to send voice messages in local languages to pregnant mothers advising them on maternal health.

Mr John Stephen Agbenyo, Executive Director of Savana Signatures, who presented the items to the Northern Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service for distribution to beneficiary facilities in Tamale over the weekend, said the project had contributed immensely to reduce maternal deaths in the region.

Mr Agbenyo said “This project has helped increase regular ante-natal care attendance rates by 89 per cent, improved skilled deliveries by 63 per cent and improved maternal health information to expectant mothers”.

He said it was in view of the successes that Savana Signatures decided to expand the project to cover more districts to help reduce maternal deaths, improve access to sexual and reproductive health rights information for the youth, and support the Ghana Health Service to provide quality health care services to expectant mothers.

Other health facilities that have been benefiting from the programme are Tamale Teaching Hospital, Tamale West Hospital, Tamale Central Hospital, Kings Medical Centre, Yendi Municipal Hospital and Savelugu Municipal Hospital.

Dr Jacob Mahama, Northern Regional Director of Health Services, who received the equipment on behalf of the beneficiary facilities, said the region recorded 66 maternal deaths last year, adding the Health Directorate had stepped up efforts to stop recording maternal deaths.

Dr Mahama said supervised deliveries had increased to an average of 53 per cent in the region, adding that pregnant women were being advised to attend hospital instead of trying to deliver at homes.

He encouraged Savana Signatures to also work in the area of family planning to improve the coverage of family planning education in the region