Dr. Joseph Akpaloo, the Chief Executive Officer, said the specialists and consultants were ready and prepared to go the extra mile to achieve just that.  What they needed, he indicated, was the supply of vital logistics and equipment, and the completion of the maternal and children’s block, which was started 41 years ago, to create more space for efficient care.

“We wish to place on record that our specialists and consultants are ready and willing to work even harder to further reduce the rate of maternal and neonatal deaths in Ghana.  All that we need is the necessary support including the completion of the 41 year old maternal and children’s block project so that we will have better facilities and space to offer the needed clinical interventions in the area of paediatric and maternal health care.”

 Dr. Akpaloo was speaking at the end of year performance review meeting of the hospital in Kumasi. Maternal deaths had in the last five years, significantly dropped at the hospital - reducing from the ratio of 12.55 per 100,000 live births in 2012 to 10.20 per 100,000 live births, last year.

It has, however, been struggling with congestion and inadequate equipment at the labour wards, a situation, that has become a huge bother because of the cross infection among newborn babies and their mothers.

Dr. Akpaloo said the hospital was doing its best amid the serious challenges.

He spoke of continued re-training of staff of the obstetrics and gynaecology directorate alongside the establishment of a dedicated blood bank for the directorate and said these had helped to save more lives. There was also specialist support for 22 medical facilities in the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Central and Western Regions, where it had been receiving most of the referral cases, to aid them to better manage obstetric and paediatric emergencies.

Dr. Akpaloo said they found it refreshing the assurance by the government to complete the maternal and children’s block.