This is being done in partnership with the Obstetrics and Gynecology Directorate of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

The goal is to expose them to skills for efficient handling of maternal and neonatal emergencies to help reduce fatalities and so far 862 EMTs have been trained.

Opening one of the training programmes in Kumasi, Mrs. Tina Naa Ayele Gifty Mensah, Deputy Health Minister, said the government was determined to ensure an effective emergency medical service system to help improve national emergency response.

It would therefore continue to provide the NAS with the needed resources and build the capacity of its staff to promptly respond to emergencies in any part of the country.

She announced that the service would soon take delivery of new ambulances to augment its fleet and those broken down fixed. Mrs. Mensah said the obstetrics and gynecology training was critical to the drive to bring down maternal mortality.

She praised the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and European Union (EU) for supporting the training programme.

Professor Ahmed Nuhu Zakaria, Chief Executive of NAS, said medical technicians had crucial role to play in maternal and neonatal emergency situations. The training would give them the confidence to help pregnant women in need of emergency medical attention.

Dr. Owusu Bempa of KATH Obstetrics and Gynecology Directorate and Lead Facilitator of the training programme, said obstetric emergencies were life threatening and required efficient professional handling.

The training would help the EMTs to assist in vaginal delivery, especially in transit situations and to manage post-partum hemorrhage.  He added that it would help to save many women from needless deaths associated with child birth.