Health News of Thursday, 21 June 2018

Source: otecfmghana.com

Sakora Wonoo maternity ward faces closure over lack of logistics

The state of the ward makes it difficult for staff of the hospital to work effectively The state of the ward makes it difficult for staff of the hospital to work effectively

The maternity ward at the Sakora Wonoo Government Hospital in the Kwabre East Municipal of the Ashanti region faces imminent closure for lack of logistics if the health authorities in the country do not intervene to save the situation.

The ward, which has only three maternity beds to serve the community and its environs, lacks maternity equipment to enhance the healthcare delivery for expectant mothers and their babies, as it serves as both a labour and delivery ward.

Otec News’ reporter, Mariam Seidu, who visited the hospital on Wednesday, June 20, 2018, said the there were cracks in the walls and ceiling, making the single room-ward flooded anytime it rains heavily, disrupting activities during consulting and labour periods.

The Senior Midwife for the hospital, Cecilia Amoako, who uses a veranda as her office, lamenting about the predicament of the ward said “the windows are nearly ripped off and whenever it rains the water passes through them, passes through the cracked ceiling and the walls, making it difficult sometimes for us when delivering a baby. It is very challenging using a single room with just three student beds serving as a labour and delivery room, it causes a lot health problems for the mother and their babies.”

“We are therefore appealing to the government through the Municipal Assembly to construct a befitting maternity ward for us, because the space is too small to admit more than three mothers at a time. It’s very worrying to see pregnant women in labour lying on the floor simply because there is no bed to lie on it. The situation compel us facility to refer pregnant and those in labour to nearby hospitals and health facilities, which sometimes comes with a great ‘price’, putting the patients’ lives as risks,” she added.