Jema (B/A) March 23, GNA - Delivery of babies has reduced at health centres in the Kintampo South District in Brong-Ahafo Region, despite the fact that deliveries are free. Madam Vida Obeng Owusu, a senior nurse in the delivery ward at the Kintampo South District Hospital, at Jema, attributed the situation to illiteracy and inadequate information on the essence of having babies at health centres. Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, at the hospital, in Jema, she said the ward recorded 22 deliveries in January, 19 in February and 14 as at March 18, 2009, as compared to 27, 29 and 18, respectively, during the same period in 2008, when deliveries were not free.

She said when the free antenatal and delivery system was introduced by the government, in the latter part of 2008, the number of deliveries increased and wondered why the women had decided not to attend health centres for deliveries lately. "This ward recorded 38 deliveries in October, 42 in November and 27 in December 2008", Madam Owusu said. She stated that it was possible that some women had relied on trained traditional birth attendants who operated in the rural areas. However, three women: Yaa Donkor, Amina Alhassan and Grace Asare told the Ghana News Agency that they preferred to be delivered of the babies at home to avoid being heckled and shouted upon by some nurses at the health centres and hospitals.