Following the current complaints about maternal and neo-natal deaths by doctors and other experts in the country`s health delivery sector, Peace FM has conducted fact-finding investigations to establish the actual state of affairs in some parts of the country where government hospitals are located.
The exercise also sought to find out the causes and how widespread the problem is. The report revealed that pregnancy related deaths keep increasing every year in the country. Experts also revealed that 888 out of every 100,000 pregnant women in Ghana who visit the hospital, end up dying. Another expert, whose statistics were even more frightening said, out of every 1,000 pregnant women abut 451 die .Reporting from the Northern region, our reporter, Kwabena Ntow, described information gathered. Doctors in the hospital also attributed this problem to bad traditional practices, saying instead of visiting the hospital, some of the pregnant women would rather seek traditional way of delivering.
Our correspondent, Sampson Nyamekye described the situation at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi as terrible. The hospital administration at KATH had disclosed to him that 54 women have died during childbirth in the hospital so far this year, meaning on the average, about 9 pregnant women die every month at KATH. The official also attributed the problem to some pregnant women�s poor financial background which discourages them from accessing the necessary care.
Reports from Korle Bu Teaching hospital (KBTH) in Accra by Akwasi Agyeman our reporter, was frightening. He disclosed that out of every 100,000 pregnant women who visit KBTH, 888 die. Outlining the number of victims this year, the official said 45 pregnant women had died at KBTH within seven months, this year. Information gathered at KBTH hospital shows that pregnant women from the teenage state to 25 years die more than those from 25-45 years. Meanwhile Dr. Yaw Okyere of Oda government hospital refused to talk to our reporter, Obeng Darko who approached him, claiming that women who die whilst giving birth is a normal phenomenon.
Sharing his experience on �Kokrokoo� morning show, a resident of Accra who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that his wife who was in labour recently lost her baby in the womb at KBTH due to what he termed as negligence on the part of officials there. He explained that his wife who had been bleeding was asked to go through lengthy formalities and a prescribed scan. When they got there, the attendant told them he had closed for the day so they should come the next day. It was after all this delay that it was realized the baby had died. The metropolitan health directorate of Cape Coast, Dr. Joseph Nortey said the government can reduce maternal and neo-natal death by making health care accessible in every part of the country and provide the requisite equipment and services to help save pregnant women.
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