Health News of Tuesday, 8 August 2006

Source: GNA

Mother of three gave birth to triplets

Mampong (Ash), Aug 8, GNA- Dr Emmanuel Ahiable, Medical Superintendent of the Ashanti-Manpomg District hospital has said that eclampsia was one of four pregnancy-related complications that most often led to death in areas where there is no emergency obstetric care. "The others are haemorrhage (severe bleeding), sepsis (infection) and obstructed labour".

According to medical scientists, together with unsafe abortion, these complications were responsible for more than two-thirds of maternal deaths. The remaining third were due to indirect causes or an existing medical condition like malaria, anaemia, hepatitis, or AIDS, which was worsened by pregnancy or delivery.

Dr Ahiable was speaking to the Ghana News Agency at the Asante-Mampong District Hospital, a 29-old woman had given birth to triplets through a caesarean operation.

The woman, Madam Hagar Dwomoh, native of Benim, near Mampong, who collapsed due to eclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension) and was rushed to the hospital but for the immediate intervention of Dr Ahiable, she would had died within minutes of reaching the hospital due to the seriousness of the complication.

The three female babies weighed 2.0 kg; 1.6 kg and 1.5 kg respectively, were in good health and under intensive care. Dr. Ahiable stressed the urgent need for consistent political commitment at the highest level to reduce maternal deaths and disability through increasing the level of midwifery care and skilled attendants at deliveries in the sub-districts.

He also appealed to individuals and philanthropic organization to support Madam Dwomoh, a peasant farmer, to take care of the triplets. 8 Aug. 06