Accra, April 24, GNA- Conditions at the Maternity Wards of the

Ridge and Korle Bu Teaching Hospitals, both in Accra, need urge

attention to check infant and maternal mortality rate. At the Ridge Hospital, the ward is congested. A number of

mothers were lying down helplessly with their just delivered babies

on the floor and benches in the poorly ventilated and congested

ward. "The place is too small for us; it needs an expansion. It's been

so for almost four years, a nurse on duty bemoaned, as she spoke to Health Minister, Dr George Sipa

Yankey, and National Security Co-ordinator Brigadier General

Joseph Nunoo-Mensah (Rtd), who paid unannounced visits to the

two hospitals on Friday. "I just delivered someone on the floor, the nurse added." The two Government officials learned that the Ridge Hospital

had been a referral to other health institutions in the Accra

Metropolis- the Achimota, Maamobi and La and even Korle Bu

Teaching Hospital. The water situation, according nurses on duty, was no better. Dr George Acquaye, Medical Superintendent in-Charge of the

Hospital complained that despite numerous letters to the higher

authorities in Government to address the situation, no positive

results had come from those quarters. The improvement in the water situation according to Dr Acquaye

would require an amount GH¢ 6000. The Brigadier General, expression emotion about the plight of the

ward put the blame at the doorsteps of greedy and uncaring

politicians whose interest laid in flamboyant lifestyles to the neglect

of basic needs of the masses. He declared, "this kind of situation is not even fit for animals," and promised to address the situation personally

with his own resources. Dr. George Amofa, Deputy Director General of the Ghana Health

Service, who accompanied the team, remarked, "it looks like human

life has no value in this country." Dr. Yankey ordered for a list of all the activities that do referrals

to the Ridge Hospital, promising that Government would mobilize

resources urgently and make sure it improved the situation. At the Maternity Ward of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the

lifts to the various floors were not working. The team learned that the over-aged lifts had being breaking

down frequently since last February, and had not been working

since last Monday. A nurse on duty said, "We ask those (women in labour) who can

manage to climb up and come. Some take rest on the way; some

times we carry them on the stretcher and ascend the stairs. The Health Minister directed the Administration of the Obstetrics

and Gynaecology (O&G) Department to ensure that the lift was

replaced within one month. He wondered why the department could not use part of its Internally Generated Fund to make the lifts works, but Prof.

Yao Enyonam Kwawukume, Head of the Department attributed the

situation to administrative bottleneck at the Hospital. "We feel that they don't really care for women," Prof

Kwawukume said, adding that, the deplorable conditions at the ward

necessitated Caesarean being performed at times at other cardio

centres and other departments. "We perform between 12 and 15 sections a day, but only one of

the two theatres is currently active," Prof Kwawukume said. The water situation was no better and calls to raise an overhead

tank had fallen deaf ears due to administrative bureaucracy and

over-centralisation of administrative procedures. The boiler at the hospital was also not working.