TBAs urged to refer first-born expectant mothers to hospitals

Accra, Nov. 21, GNA - Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) have been advised to desist from extending their services to pregnant women who are giving birth for the very first time since their pelvises are not big enough for babies to pass through.

"Women who are giving birth for the very first time have small pelvises and therefore any unwarranted pressure on them to push could cause them (pelvises) to rapture or burst," said Dr. Emmanuel Quaye, Chairman of Asheidu Keteke Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, said. Speaking at a conference organized by the Ghana Association of Faith Healers and Traditional Birth Attendants on Friday, Dr Quaye advised TBAs to refer expectant mothers who might be suffering from blood pressure, sickle cells and diabetes to hospitals to give birth since they might require special attention.

He lauded TBAs for their good works, adding that, a lot of expectant mothers in the villages preferred to deliver their babies at their homes in order to avoid maltreatments from nurses at the hospitals.

He appealed to the association to weed out the quack ones from their midst in order to protect the image of the professionals and also periodically organize seminars for the members to upgrade their skills. Mr. Sampsom Kweku Boafo, Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, who was a guest speaker praised the TBAs for augmenting the work of the national medical staff and helping the government in its vision of attaining a middle-income status by 2015.

"I cannot imagine what would have happened if we did not have TBAs to augment the work of our medical staff," he added. He urged them to be tactful and more accommodating to their clients and also respect their their basic human rights. The Rev. Joseph Boakye Danquah, National President of the Association, thanked the members for their keen interest in the activities of the Association since its formation in 2005 and urged them to respect the code of ethics of practice as drawn for them by the Ministry of Health. "By so doing you help to erase some of the misconceptions that people have about our mode of operations and also earn us the needed respect," he explained.

He appealed to the members to uphold peace that the nation is currently enjoying and not allow anyone to use them to cause mayhem in the coming elections. The conference which was under the theme; "Professional Role of Faith Healing and Traditional Birth Attendants in National Health Care and Delivery" was attended by the Association's members nationwide.