Rising cases of teenage pregnancy and abortion have become a major headache for health professionals in the Asamang Tamfoe community.

The district recorded 3,000 teenage pregnancies and 619 cases of abortion – the highest figure in the Eastern Region, last year according to research by Daily View Gh.

Assembly member for Atiwa district, Ernest Adade Wiredu, said this was being fueled by a thriving illegal gold mining industry.

The area is under massive invasion by illegal miners and with that has come increased social vices.

He announced this to Dan Kwasi Prince of Daily View Gh and discussed the way forward to improve the quality of healthcare.

Mr Wiredu identified the growing number of still-births as the an
other serious challenge, saying that, there were 77 cases compared to the previous year’s total of 47.

He noted that these could have been reduced if women in labour had reported to the facilities early.

He complained about the lack of accommodation for health workers and transport, bad roads, inadequate funds and delay in insurance claims payment to the hospitals and said these were affecting the quality of health care delivery.

He appeal for the payment of health insurance claims to the facilities that had been in arrears to enable them to smoothly operate.