Most women die needlessly when giving birth- Aboagye

Accra, 28 July GNA- About fifteen per cent of pregnant women develop complications as a result of direct obstetric complications that could be treated. Mr. Patrick Aboagye, deputy Director for Reproductive and Child Health, Ghana Health Service (GHS), said on Wednesday.

"Though many direct obstetric complication can not be predicted or prevented with some exceptions, we have to prevent those that we can"

He was engaging the media on the progress made so far in the countrywide emergency obstetric newborn assessment exercise.

The exercise was to generate information that would be used as a basis to strengthen the health system to reduce maternal and newborn mortality as well as to help allocate resource to regions and districts for effective health delivery.

He said the main areas of the assessment would focus on the identification of facilities and infrastructure, human resources, essential drugs, equipment, supplies and facility case summary.

Mr. Aboagye stated that strengthening the health system would require adequate skilled attendance during child birth, as well as the provision a referral system coupled with community participation throughout the country.

The assessment which covers about 1, 200 health facilities in all the regions including Private and Public Health Institutions had already been done in the Upper East Region.