The Mankessim Health Centre recorded a total of 335 teenage pregnancy cases last year as compared to 217 cases in the previous year.

Mrs. Mercy Antwi-Boasiako, Senior Physician Assistant at the health centre who disclosed this, described the situation as serious and said the cases involved girls aged between 10 and 19 years.

Mrs. Antwi-Boasiako was addressing a day’s Annual Performance Review Meeting of the Mfantseman Municipal Health directorate held in Saltpond.

The meeting was attended by medical and non-medical staff from Anomabo, Dominase, Biriwa and Saltpond/Kormantse Sub-Districts, Mankessim Sub Municipal, Saltpond Hospital, Mercy Women Centre, Municipal Ambulance Service and the staff of the Mfantseman Mutual Health Insurance.

Mrs. Antwi-Boasiako said though the Health Centre intensified education on teenage pregnancy in the year under review, the increase suggested that more was needed to be done to reduce the numbers this year.

Mrs. Antwi-Boasiako said the antenatal attendance shot up to 11,121 last year as against 6,454 in the previous year, adding that 2, 672 of the number was screened for Hepatitis B and that 22 were diagnosed with anemia.

She said 341 deliveries were recorded at the facility last year and attributed it to team work and improved human relation, adding that 361 husbands and male relatives were in the delivery suite during deliveries.

The Senior Physician Assistant said Malaria topped the list of the 10 top diseases recorded at the centre with an increase of 7,076 as against 5,371 in the previous year, adding that Malaria cases in children under five also increased from 1,815 in 2012 to 3,798.

She said 26 persons made up of 14 males and 12 females were diagnosed with Tuberculosis of which one died whiles 16 were still receiving treatment.

Mrs Antwi Boasiako said four people made up of two males and two females were diagnosed with HIV and were referred to the Saltpond Hospital for the management of the condition.

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