GHS: Asante Akim South records zero maternal death
The Asante Akim South Municipal Health Directorate on Friday, February 24, 2023 had their annual performance review meeting as part of strategies to assess and take stock of activities to improve quality health care in the municipality.
The event attracted stakeholders in the health sector including Directors, doctors, midwives, nurses, physicians Assistant, lab technicians and others developmental partners which includes chiefs, queen mothers, member of Parliament, District Chief Executive and the media.
Their aim is Achieving Sustainable Development Goals target for maternal and child health.
Addressing the participants, Dr Ruben Osei Antwi, Asante Akim South Director of Health Services, said the review was based on how to leverage the use of information and communication technology to improve on maternal and newborn care in the municipality to save lives and prevent disability.
Dr Ruben Osei Antwi added that, technology inclined facilities such as Tele-consultation centre, Geographic Information Systems, mobile phone calls, social media platforms such as WhatsApp, that we can use in problem analysis and fast communication to get help and save life is very important and need to be looked at.
He said, the Directorate conducted a holistic assessment of the hospitals, health centers and CHIP compounds level performance for 2022 and identified their strengths and weakness as well as available opportunities.
He said “among the weak areas were low antenatal attendance, high infant and child mortality, increased in HIV/AIDS etcetera.” He explained that, because of the COVID 19 outbreak, people were concentrating much on the COVID that why the other diseases including the HIV increased.
Based on the assessment, the Directorate, he said, has prepared action plans which targets were set in the various service areas for attainment by the end of the year.
Dr Antwi said the Directorate in its quest to address the health challenges in the municipality, continues to focus on the implementation of approved health policies and programmes such as the Community – based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) and community engagement to create equitable access to quality health care services.
He said with the support of development partners like the Asante Akim South Municipal Assembly, Chiefs and elders and NGOs had helped to strengthen the various health facilities in the municipality.
The Director said the municipality currently has functional CHPS zones covering some parts of the municipal population, adding that “in the area of pregnancy and delivery was good but the antenatal care coverage was not quite encouraging but with the help of the staffs in the various health facilities, they recorded zero maternal death in the municipality.
He said immunization coverage was increased as compared to previous years and that the municipality has not recorded any death resulting from malaria among children less than five years. “
Dr Ruben Osei Antwi expressed gratitude to the Regional health directorate, Municipal Chief Executives, development partners and all categories of health staff for their dedication, sacrifice and determination to ensure improved health outcomes in the municipality, “we thank the Ghana Health Service (GHS) Council and the Regional Health directorate for the support”.
Mr Alexander Frimpong, the Municipal Chief Executive, said technology presented faster and reliable means of following the development of unborn babies right from the period of conception.
He said telemedicine was bridging physical and technical gaps in health service delivery, and indicated that Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and a host of other forms of technology made it possible for easier and faster diagnoses of children and their mothers for prompt remedial action and urged the Health Directorate to adopt some of these new technologies to improve on mother and child health in the region.
He then assured them of their support in terms of providing them with logistics that will help them in their service delivery. He revealed that, with the support from government and NGO, they have ordered two full containers of medical equipment that will be delivered to the Directorate before the end of this year.
Mr Alexander Frimpong encouraged the staffs to do their best to save lives and also appealed to all stakeholders within the municipality to help with any little they have to support the Directorate so that they can deliver well.
By Akwadaa Nyame@Silverfm
