Lawra (U/W), Dec. 16, GNA - The Lawra District Hospital has introduced free ambulance services for pregnant women as part of efforts to reduce maternal deaths.

The cost of the ambulance services was high and is not covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) a situation that was denying most pregnant women its services whenever they are referred to the Wa Regional Hospital.

Dr. Sebastian N. Sandaare, Lawra District Director of Health Services, said this at a forum held at Lawra on Tuesday to sensitize them on the role of community participation in ensuring quality health delivery. The forum was on the theme: "Community Participation as an Effective Tool for Health Service Delivery" and would offer stakeholders the opportunity to identify local resources that are available to enhance quality health delivery at the community level.

Dr. Sandaare said if pregnant women had free access to the services of the ambulance, it would help reduce high maternal mortality rate in the region.

He said this year the Upper West Region recorded 39 maternal deaths out of which six of them were recorded in the Lawra District. Dr. Sandaare said the figures were unacceptably high and urged traditional rulers, opinion leaders and assembly members to educate the women on the need to attend antenatal health care regularly and to seek professional health delivery at the hospital whenever they were in labour. He mentioned lack of critical medical staff, inadequate residential accommodation, delays in reimbursement by NHIS and several abandoned projects as well as inadequate community participation in health activities as some of the challenges that were hampering quality health delivery in the district.

Mrs. Rebecca Alalbila, the Regional Community Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Coordinator, commended the Lawra District Health Directorate for initiating the free ambulance service and urged other districts in the region to emulate the Lawra Hospital.

Mr. Samson Abu, the Lawra District Chief Executive, the Assembly had allocated 3000 Ghana cedis to assist students who were pursuing health training courses in the various health institutions throughout the country. 16 Dec 09