Apagya (Ash), July 10, GNA - The Adansi South District Directorate of the Ghana Health Service has announced plans to extend ante-natal and post-natal care services to cover all communities in the district. Mrs Janet Oduro, Public Health Nursing Officer for the New Edubiase sub-district, said the move was part of efforts to reduce maternal deaths in the district to the barest minimum.

She was speaking at a programme organized by the sub-district to improve safe motherhood at Adansi-Apagya at the weekend. Mrs Oduro said the programme, which will commence on July 20, aims at improving access of pregnant women to efficient health care during that period of their lives, which she described as "crucial". Under the programme, women would also be educated on the various family planning options to enable them make informed decisions to prevent unwanted pregnancies which often lead to unsafe abortions and complications.

Mrs Oduro entreated pregnant women to attend clinic, at least, four times in the pregnancy period to enable health workers detect and correct any condition likely to result in fatal conditions such as eclampsia, post partum haemorrhage and abortion. Mrs Allswell Ackon, Adansi South Deputy District director of Nursing Services, assured women in the district that her outfit will work hard to protect pregnant women from related diseases which at times lead to death.

Some of the participants at the programme commended the district health directorate for organizing such an educative and important programme for them and also appealed to the nurses to do the programmes periodically.

The programme attracted over 300 people including men.