Suhum (Eastern Region) 12 Jan.

The Suhum government hospital recorded 607 teenage pregnancies, 262 aids cases and 5,308 New Ante-Natal cases last year. This was announced by Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu Appiah, Principal Nursing Officer in charge of the Maternal and Child Health Care Unit of the hospital, at a meeting of the Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar District Health Management Team (DHMT) at Suhum. She said most of the teenage mothers were between the ages of 12 and 16 and were impregnated mainly by their age mates, mostly truck pushers, drivers' mates and car washers, others, however, did not know who were responsible for their pregnancies. Mrs.. Ofosu Appiah attributed the increase in the birth rate in the area to the doctrines of some religious societies and some men who are against family planning in the district. Dr.. Harry Opata, District Medical Officer, said the district recorded 90.4 percent coverage during the first phase of the national polio immunization programme and 103.5 percent during the second phase of the exercise last year. He said apart from aids, which is on the increase in the district, other diseases like Yaws, Diarrhoea, Measles, Malaria, Typhoid Fever and Onchocerciasis are within controllable limits. Dr.. Opata announced that the hospital was adjudged the best in the Eastern Region for 1997 and was presented with a shield at a ceremony at Koforidu. He commended that staff of the ministry of health in the district for their hard work and urged them to keep it up. Mr.. Tei Djangba, secretary of the DHMT, appealed to the ministry to provide the team with new vehicles and help renovate its offices.

Gri