For the first time in seven years, pregnancy and its related complications have ousted malaria to become the leading cause of in-patient hospitalization at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH).

Statistics presented at the hospital’s 2014 Annual Performance Review showed that 447 cases, constituting 4.7 percent of a total of 9,459 inpatient hospitalizations, were recorded during the period under review.

Mr. Eric Koranteng, head of the hospital’s Records Department, who presented the statistics, said despite the fact that pregnancy was also the seventh most reported case in the hospital it was not part of the top 10 causes of death in the hospital.

The three day review was on the theme "The three day review was on the theme “Accelerating process towards achieving Millenium Developmemt Goals 4, 5, 6, focusing on pragmatic steps that can be taken in 2015".

It brought together the Hospital’s board, management, heads of departments, medical and non-medical staff and representatives from University of Cape Coast (UCC) Medical School, Ghana Health Service and other teaching hospitals in the country.

Mr. Koranteng said hernia became the second cause of inpatient hospitalization with 318 cases, closely followed by malaria with 308 cases.

He said out of the 9,459 inpatient hospitalizations, 6,216 representing 66 percent were females, with majority falling in the 20-34 year group while 3,245 also representing 34 percent were males.

Prematurity, which was the sixth cause of inpatient hospitalizations with 217 cases, topped the causes of death in the Hospital for the second year running, with 73 deaths, representing 11 percent of the Hospital’s death roll.

Mr. Koranteng said it was followed by birth asphyxia with 47deaths and neonatal sepsis which recorded 31 deaths.

Although malaria, remained the major cause of outpatient visits, constituting 7.70 percent of a total of 100,756 Out Patient Department (OPD) visits, it also did not make it to the top 10 causes of death in the Hospital.

Hypertension and diabetes occupied the second position on the OPD morbidities chart with 5.30 percent each, he said.

He said maternal mortality ratio of 772 per 100,000 live births was registered while still birth rate was also five percent.

Dr. Daniel Asare, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital, congratulated staff and management for their various roles played in quality health care delivery during the period and pledged the hospital’s commitment to continue delivering excellent service.

The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital was built in 1998 as a modern Regional Hospital for the Central Region, but was transformed into a Teaching Hospital last year with the mandate of training doctors from the UCC Medical School.