A pregnant woman who was scheduled for CS died after leaving the hospital to attend a prayer camp.
One of the four cases of maternal deaths recorded in the Ledzokuku Municipality in 2022 involved a pregnant woman who went to a prayer camp to avoid Caesarian Section (CS) and later died in labor.
The Ledzokuku Municipal Director of Health Services, Madam Jacqueline Sfarijlani, stated that all four cases were largely due to anaemia during pregnancy, late reporting to health facilities, and patronage of prayer camps and healing centers due to the fear of Caesarian Section (CS).
"When a woman comes at 36 weeks and her HP is less than 11, it is a risk factor because haemorrhage (bleeding during the delivery process) is one of the causes of maternal mortality," she explained.
"So, if her HP is low and care is not taken or no intervention is provided, we may lose her, and this is one of the cases in Greater Accra and the Ledzokuku Municipality as well," she explained, adding that pregnant women frequently arrived late at the facilities.
Six maternal deaths were reported to the directorate in 2021.
The Municipal Health Director stated that the fear of CS was a major concern and urged all stakeholders to work together to demystify the service.
Madam Sfarijlani stated this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the Ledzokuku Municipal Health Directorate's 2022 annual Performance Review meeting in Teshie.
"Addressing healthcare delivery gaps for equity in health coverage through intensifying health promotion interventions, optimizing the use of data and technology to improve access to quality healthcare, and strengthening preventive and control measures for emergent and re-emergent public health events," it said.
The purpose of the meeting was to evaluate the work of health facilities in the municipality over the previous year in light of the Ghana Health Service objectives, as well as to discuss challenges, accomplishments, and best practices for improving health care coverage.
Key interventions for 2023, according to Madam Sfarijlani, include CS sensitization programs for pregnant women and dieting.
She also stated that the directorate was working to reduce anaemia during pregnancy.
"A lot of work has been done to reduce maternal mortality, and we want to intensify our pregnancy schools, so we will move the pregnancy schools from the facilities into the communities so that we can get closer to them, we will talk to them about the interventions, and we will make sure that we constantly fortify their iron folate to boost the iron in the blood."
Mr. Charles Banafo, the Administrator at the LEKMA Hospital, identified a reduction in antenatal care services, which had resulted in maternal complications during delivery, while presenting the Municipality's health care coverage.
He said: “We didn’t do well because they were not coming, if you are pregnant, it is not a disease, but you need to come for antenatal services within the first trimester for us to see that everything is okay.”
He called on all, particularly husbands and relatives to commit themselves to the safety and well-being of pregnant women.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0