Winneba, (C/R), Aug. 20, GNA - Mrs. Bernadette Pufaa, Deputy Director of Nursing Services In-Charge of Winneba District Hospital on Friday said about 960 pregnant women in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District were given free delivery service at the Hospital between January and August this year, plunging it into a 200 million cedis debt.

"Currently the hospital have depleted its funds due to the high delivery rate recorded since the inception of the free delivery package but unfortunately the reimbursement from Government have not been forthcoming, forcing hospital authorities to charge token fees to augment its operations," Mrs Pufaa stated.

Statistically the hospital delivers 120 babies monthly, an average of 30 births per week.

Mrs Pufaa was speaking to newsmen after receiving two laundry machines, two roller, an industrial dryer and two mortuary refrigerator from the Government through the Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei who facilitated the donation.

She explained that the failure of Government to consistently reimburse hospitals with funds was undermining the implementation of the free medical care scheme.

Mrs. Pufaa said most of the cases recorded at the OPD were malaria related and called for environmental and personal hygiene consciousness among the people to reduce the incidence of the disease.

She however, reminded the public that child deliveries at all government and mission hospitals at the hospital now attract no fees, which includes emergency surgical services such as caesarean section. The Deputy Director said pregnant women in the district would enjoy free labour deliveries whether or not they are registered for the National Health Insurance Scheme.

The package is part of the government's efforts to increase access to health services for pregnant women to reduce maternal and infant mortality under the Safe Motherhood Initiative.

Other components of the initiative were antenatal care, family planning and post abortion care.

Meanwhile the Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Owusu-Agyei, who is also the Member of Parliament for Effutu Constituency reiterated government's efforts to provide the enabling environment for equity and quality health care delivery.

He said the thrust of government's policy on health care "is for each person to be the others keeper. It is this that has culminated in the launch of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)." Mr Owusu-Agyei said efforts are underway to rehabilitate and up-grade a number of health facilities, including Winneba hospital to meet the standards of care needed to support the NHIS.

"It is therefore, my wish that we all embrace the NHIS and register massively to enable us access health care anytime we are in need. It is by this means that we can support each other to access health care easily without the usual financial hardships, which normally result in death and avoidable complications. 20 Aug. 05