Agona Swedru, Nov 11, GNA - Dr Sekyi-Appiah, Agona District Director of Health Services, has said that seven maternal deaths were recorded in the first nine months of this year at the Swedru Government Hospital. He said they could have been avoided if the pregnant women had heeded medical advice.

Dr Sekyi-Appiah announced this at the launching of the Central Regional Safe Motherhood Week celebration at Agona Swedru on the theme "Deaths in pregnancy and childbirth are preventable - Act now" He stated that the District Directorate of Health was doing everything possible to educate the public especially pregnant women on the need to reduce maternal ill health and deaths, in the district. Dr Sekyi-Appiah explained that the increasing number of maternal deaths prompted the Regional Directorate of Health to organise the launching in the Agona District.

He pointed out that health workers alone could not solve the maternal related issues and said it needed the collective efforts of all especially Chiefs, Assembly Members, the Ghana Education Service and other stakeholders to help reduce maternal deaths.

The Director urged them to play an advocacy role in ensuring that the trend was reversed, adding that, "losing one's mother in the home cause severe hardship to the family".

In speech read on behalf of the Central Regional Minister, Mr Isaac Edumadze by Mr G. B. L Siilo, District Co-ordinating Director, he stated that the government had made efforts to reduce high maternal deaths, especially in the Central region by providing 'free maternal delivery services to pregnant women, in addition to the exemption of pregnant mothers for paying for antenatal services.