A Non- Governmental Organization [NGO], Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives (PARDA), with support from Oxfam Ghana has constructed two maternity blocks for the Namolgo and Gorogo communities in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region.
The initiative is geared towards providing easy access to maternal health care and also to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.
The maternity facilities built and equipped with hospital beds, delivery beds, gloves, medicine and other chemicals for delivery cost GHcc890, 500.00.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Namolgo maternity block, the Director of PARDA, Dr. Michael Wombeago said, “The maternity blocks is an opportunity by PARDA and Oxfam in Ghana to augment the efforts of government in maternal health delivery”.
“We have provided the two facilities with one tricycle ambulance and a motorbike each for the transfer of emergency maternal cases from the communities to facilities and to the regional hospital when necessary and as well do home visits”.
Ten bicycles were also given to community volunteers in each facility to monitor pregnant women in the communities.
Dr. Wombeago encouraged pregnant women not to deliver at home, but at the facilities, and appealed to the traditional rulers of the areas to sanction anybody who will prevent women from attending antenatal care and delivery at the facilities.
He appealed to the Ghana Health Service to make the Namolgo facility a polyclinic, saying it meets the status of a polyclinic.
A nursing practitioner and in-charge of the Namolgo health center, Bodiba Bukari, was confident that, the maternity facility will help address the increasing numbers of pregnant women attending antenatal and delivery at the facility.
Country Director of Oxfam, Tijani Hamza, said his outfit which is bent on reducing maternal mortality through their universal access to health care programme, has supported PARDA in achieving zero maternal deaths in their operational areas in the region.
He added that Oxfam will continue to support players in the health sector and augment government’s efforts in reducing maternal and child mortality.
Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Winfred Ofosu, lauded PARDA and Oxfam for the initiative, and admonished midwives to treat pregnant women with dignity in order to attract more women coming for antenatal and delivery at health facilities.
Even though the Talensi District recorded no case of maternal death in 2017, the district recorded a decline in skilled delivery of 43.6 percent in 2017, from 44.8 percent in 2016.
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By: Frederick Awuni/citinewsroom.com/Ghana