The Awutu Bawjiase Polyclinic in the Central Region has not recorded any stillbirth for the past two consecutive years, a feat officials attribute to accurate planning and teamwork.

The facility recorded one maternal death last year but none was recorded in 2019.

Mr Jayson Komla Abrantie Dzam, the Head of Administration of the Polyclinic, in the Awutu-Senya District, said this at the 2020 Annual Performance Review summit at Bawjiase.

He attributed the feat chalked in 2019 and 2020 to proper planning and solid teamwork by the midwives, laboratory staff and nurses.

He said the only maternal mortality recorded in 2020 was as a result of a delay in seeking care by the patient.

He advised expectant mothers to quickly seek care at the hospital when they got into labour.

Mr Dzam announced that Out Patients Department (OPD) attendance decreased to 21,365 in 2020 from 24,466 in 2019, while Anti-Natal Clinic attendance increased to 1,495 in 2020 from 1,485 in 2019.

Deliveries at the facility, during the period under review, also increased slightly from 851 in 2019 to 881 in 2020, while a total of 175 teen pregnancies were recorded in 2020 as against 154 in 2019.

The use of the National Health Insurance Card to access health care in the facility rose to 14,833 in 2020 from 14,736 in 2019.

Non-insured clients attendance reduced from 9,730 in 2019 to 6,532 in 2020, while admissions increased from 1,481 in 2019 to 1,941 in 2020.

Mr Dzam said malaria continued to top the 10 OPD Morbidity with 3,304 cases in 2020, followed by Anemia with 661 cases, Urinary Tract Infection; 566, Upper Respiratory Tract Infections; 504, Skin diseases; 324, Rheumatism; 296, Road traffic injuries; 1,164, typhoid fever; 129 and hypertension; 108.

Malaria also continued to top the five in-patients severe illnesses recorded in the facility, followed by Anemia, Hypertension and diabetes, he added.

The facility was adjudged the over-all best Polyclinic in the Central Region per the first-ever Peer Review instituted in 2019 by the Central Regional Health Directorate to assess the performance of polyclinics there, Mr Dzam said.

Among the models used to assess the facilities were Environment and Infrastructure, Client Case, Quality Assurance, Occupational Health and Safety, Clinical Practices, Infection Prevention and Control, Emergency Services and Systems and Governance.

"The Bawjiase Polyclinic also placed the fourth best health facility in the Central Region," he said.

Mr Dzam said the facility faced several constraints but the urgent one was inadequate paramedical staff, including a procurement and estate officer, qualified personnel to manage emergency cases, and resources to complete an on-going Emergency Block.

He appealed to the Government to absorb the salaries of the casual workers to enable the facility it to retain its internally generated funds for sustainable quality service delivery for client and staff satisfaction.