Men should encourage their wives to attend antenatal clinics – Mrs Boakye

Mrs Mary Boakye, Nurse Administrator at the Sunyani Municipal Hospital has advised men to encourage and support their wives to attend antenatal clinics regularly to avoid complications during delivery.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani Mrs Boakye said when men supported and accompanied their wives to the antenatal clinics they would be familiar with the health status of their wives and ensure safe delivery.

Mrs Boakye said the hospital recorded 1,229 deliveries between January to December last year, with a maternal death.

She said investigations indicated that the deceased never attended antenatal clinic until she was rushed to the hospital in labour and partially dead from being anaemic.

Out of the recorded deliveries, 157 were through Caesarian Section, she said.

Mrs Boakye said pregnant women who failed to attend antenatal clinics risked their lives as well as the unborn child because their blood groups and levels would not be known by health personnel to identify changes in their blood to prevent complications.

She said some pregnant women refused to visit the antenatal clinics after being asked to undertake Prevention of Mothers and Child Transmission test to know their HIV status.

Mrs Boakye said pregnant women who tested positive were given medication to prevent transmission to the child and save their lives but after collecting the laboratory reports, some women refused to include them to their maternity card.

Mrs Boakye urged pregnant women to adhere to advise provided at the antenatal clinics and ensure that during delivery they provided the health personnel with all the necessary information required.

She said the non-availability of a generator had been the greatest challenge to the hospital during emergencies and power outages and the road to the hospital was in a deplorable state forcing pregnant women and patients to walk because drivers refused to ply the road.

Mrs Boakye said during the Yuletide 31 deliveries including twins were recorded made up of 15 boys and 17 girls, the deliveries were normal and nursing mothers and babies discharged in good health.

She appealed to Non Government Organisations institutions and philanthropists for assistance to refurbish the hospital to provide quality health care to the people.