Kokoado (Ash), Jan. 28, GNA - The Bosomtwe Health Management Team (DHMT) in the Ashanti Region has made strides in the fight against maternal mortality, by reducing cases over the last three years.

Dr Mrs Agartha Bonney, District Director of Health Services, told an annual district health review meeting at Kokoado near Kuntanase on Wednesday that, nine cases of maternal mortality were recorded in 2006, seven in 2007 and two in 2008. She attributed the positive trend to the successful collaboration between non-orthodox treatment centre managers and the DHMT. Dr Mrs Bonney thus commended health personnel in the district, Community-Based Surveillance Volunteers (CBSV), the Bosomtwe District Assembly and other Stakeholders whose tireless efforts led to that feat.

The District Director of Health Services was however not happy about the increase in still birth which rose from 62 in 2007 to 70 in 2008 and said the situation was caused by the lack of doctors and midwives in most health facilities in the district, especially Amakom and other communities along Lake Bosomtwe, to assist in delivery and management of complications during delivery.

Mr Thomas Tawiah Abbey, Ashanti Regional Health Promotion Officer who chaired the function, commended the DHMT for attaining quality health care delivery in the district and the nation as a whole. He called for a strong collaboration between all stakeholders to promote quality health care delivery, and appealed to the assemblies to provide the needed accommodation and infrastructure to the DHMT to facilitate their operations.

Mr Felix Osei Bonsu, Manager of the Bosomtwe National Health Insurance Scheme on his part, urged all health care givers to submit their returns on time for processing, to avoid delays in paying their claims, to enhance the smooth operations of the scheme.