Akyeremateng (E/R), June 21, GNA- Despite many interventions put in place to help reduce infant and maternal mortality, Eastern Region recorded 68 maternal and 250 child mortalities between January to May this year alone.

This was disclosed by the Deputy Eastern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Ebenezer Tenkorang, at the inauguration of Hetty Krommert Community Health Compound, at Akyeremateng in the Akuapem North District on Tuesday.

The 300,000 million cedis facility was sponsored by a musician from Holland, Daniel Krommert and his father in honour of his mother who died two years ago.

The facility had male and female wards, labour ward and two consulting rooms with two-units of a one bedroom flat attached, for the midwife and medical assistant who would man the facility. According to Dr Tenkorang, healthcare delivery, especially maternal and infant mortality remained a challenge due to lack of access to health facilities in the rural areas.

He explained that, as a result of lack of health facilities, most pregnant women did not attend antenatal clinics for delivery complications to be detected early and relied on home delivery. Dr Tenkorang said the regional health directorate had earmarked 200 communities to provide health centres that would help deal with maternal and child issues to help reduce such mortality rates in the region. Dr. Tenkorang was full of praise to the benefactor of the facility since it remained one of the concerned areas, as far as child and maternal mortality was concerned.

The Akuapem North District Director of Health, Dr (Mrs) Sophia Winful explained that the facility would not be beneficial to the people if they do not register with the National Health Insurance Scheme(NHIS) to enable them have access to the facility.

She therefore called on the traditional authorities in the area to help by mobilizing the people to register with the NHIS so that they could access the facility to achieve its intended purpose. According to her, home delivery due to lack of health facility or finance to enable pregnant women to access one, was one of the major causes of maternal and infant mortality .

The District Chief Executive, Mr. Edward Adu-Aboagye, thanked the benefactors from Holland for their immense support to the Akuapem North District in areas of health and education.

He mentioned Tandakro, Akuni, Adawso and Twumguaso; all rural areas in the district that had been provided with either a clinic or a school block from the benefactors from Holland and assured them of the District's support in all their endeavours.

Mr Adu-Aboagye explained that, due to the strategic location of the facility, it would benefit the people of the Yilo Krobo District and called on the leaders of the two communities to take active involvement in the management of the facility.

The Mankrado of Apirede, Nana Aforo Manu said as a sign of gratefulness to the group from Holland and acceptance of the challenge of ensuring that the people had access to the facility, they have paid the health insurance premium for 10 people. The head of the sponsors of the project, Mr. Joop Knoll said their interest lied in the rural areas and apart from schools and clinics, they had also provided boreholes for some communities in the Akuapem North District.

He said apart from Akuapem North District, the group was also looking at the rural areas in other districts which needed help so that in due course, they could go and offer their support. 21 June 2007