Dr Sylvester Anemana, Chief Director at the Ministry of Health (MOH) has observed that 80 out of 1,000 babies die before their fifth birthday in the country.
In addition, 40 out of every 1,000 babies die before reaching their first age, while 350 mothers out of 100,000 lose their lives nationwide through delivery.
Dr Anemana made the observation at the 15th Matriculation ceremony of the Holy Family Nursing and Midwifery Training College at Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region.
They comprised 100 for Registered General Nursing and 50 Registered Midwifery.
He expressed concern about the high rate of infant and maternal mortality in the country and attributed the situation to inadequate human resource to provide the needed services and unequal distribution of health personnel in some areas.
Dr Anemana said even though some of the cases which resulted in these unfortunate situations could not be avoided, health personnel required some efforts to save human life.
The situation, he said, was unacceptable and urged health personnel to develop the right attitude to work to improve the quality of health care to Ghanaians and exhibit high moral standards and competence in their profession.
Dr Anemana said government was committed to provide health care to the people to become productive and contribute to national development.
Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister in a speech read on his behalf, said there had been numerous projects undertaken by Municipal and District assemblies in the Region under the Carma Advocacy Project initiated by Former First Lady, Dr Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills to reduce maternal mortality in the country.
The project includes sponsorship of trainee midwives and nurses, provision of free ante-natal care, training of traditional birth attendants, construction of maternity blocks and Out-Patients-Department (OPD), Community Health Improvement and Services (CHIPS) compounds.
He noted that the poor attitude of some health personnel towards clients had resulted in persistent complaints from service users and the numerous incentive schemes being implemented had had little effect on the people.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo entreated them to regard discipline as an important tool in their pursuit to become more professional to nurture their character as professionals to render better services to the expectation of the general public.
He said it was disheartening to observe an increasing incidence of lifestyle-related disease such as stroke, diabetes and hypertension which people were diagnosed at tender ages and called for massive and sustainable measures by all stakeholders to rejuvenate the health of the youth and the productive workforce of the country.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo called for individual and societal change in behaviour at all levels to salvage the abhorring trend, and urged health personnel to devote themselves to the well-being of the community they were serving, and to educate them on sound health practices and disease prevention.
The Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Catholic Bishop of Sunyani Diocese cautioned health personnel against unprofessional practices which could cause people’s lives, injury or render people to permanent disability.
He asked them to be more conscious in their duties since the people had become more conscious of their rights and responsibilities.
Most Rev. Gyamfi reminded health personnel of recent legal cases against health institutions in which relatives blamed individual nurses and midwives for the death of their loved ones.
He urged health personnel not to turn themselves into ‘gods’ who had power over life and death but always think of saving lives. They should also desist from cultivating any negative attitudes that would cost people's lives since the era when patients and their relatives were ignorant of their rights were now over.
Most Rev. Gyamfi entreated the students to know everything about their profession since their ignorance of procedures could cause permanent disability or injury to clients.
He called on health personnel to resort to the appropriate channels of negotiations for their demands rather than embark on strike action that could result in the loss of lives, adding that "lives lost during strike could not be brought back to life."
Mrs Monica Nkrumah, Principal of the College said 1,569 candidates applied for admissions and 1,117 were short-listed for interviews.
She said 100 students made up of 59 women and 41 men were admitted to pursue Registered General Nursing programme while 50 offered midwifery. She urged them to be dedicated, disciplined and committed to achieve success and become qualified nurses and midwives to provide quality health care to the people.
Mrs Nkrumah advised the students to abide by the rules and regulations governing studentship on campus since the breach of any of the oath administered would attract the appropriate sanctions.