Winneba(C/R), Feb. 1, GNA - Malaria continues to exceed cases brought to the Effutu Municipal Hospital, the acting Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr George Kwame Prah, has said.

Dr Prah said 17,334 people out of 49,355 people who attended the out-patient department of the hospital in 2010 were diagnosed with malaria. Dr Prah said this at the Effutu Municipal Hospital's 2010 Annual Performance Review at Winneba on Friday.

The review was under the theme 93Self Discipline in quality health delivery, A tool for achieving Millennium Development Goal by 2014/2015". Dr Prah urged the public to ensure environmental cleanliness and also destroy mosquito breeding grounds to reduce the incidence of the disease. He advised the public to sleep under mosquito treated nets that had been recommended by the World Health Organisation and the Ministry of Health.

Dr Prah also said institutional maternal deaths at the hospital increased from eight in 2009 to nine in 2010 and attributed this to low and high blood pressure and late arrival at the hospital by expectant women. He called on the people seek early medical attention so that their lives could be saved.

The District Chief Executive for the area, Mr Nii Ephraim, said his outfit would collaborate with the Heath Directorate, Ghana Education Service, traditional rulers and religious bodies to see how best they could collectively fight to reduce malaria in the Municipality. Mr Hayford Frempong, the Administrator of the hospital, cited lack of an ambulance in the hospital as his major concern and appealed to the Municipal Assembly, Ministry of Health and other corporate bodies for assistance.