By Kwabia Owusu-Mensah, GNA
Kumasi, March 18, GNA – The management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has announced plans to partner the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and other key stakeholders, to improve the management of fatal pregnancy-related in districts and other smaller health facilities in the country.
This is one of the most efficient and interim short term contingency measures singled out to bring down the rising incidence of maternal mortality in the middle part of the country, found to be caused to a larger extent, by these two pregnancy-induced conditions.
Dr Oheneba Owusu-Danso, Chief Executive of the second largest referral facility in the country, who made this known said, over 80 per cent of maternal deaths at the facility, were complicated cases referred from the lower health facilities within its wide catchment area.
Addressing the opening of the 2018 performance review meeting of the hospital in Kumasi, he said the effective management of such pregnancy-related diseases at the lower health facility levels, was crucial to reducing maternal deaths in the Country.
“Setting the pace for quality tertiary healthcare delivery through transformational leadership”, was the theme.
Dr Owusu-Danso pointed out that, though the construction of the ultra-modern maternal and child health unit had helped improve services for pregnant women requiring emergency care, maternal mortality continued to be high at the hospital.
The hospital recorded 123 maternal deaths in 2018 as against 102, recorded in the previous year.
Dr Owusu-Danso said the window of opportunity for saving women in pregnancy-related complications were short and it was imperative that appropriate interim management of such complications were made effectively at the lower hospitals, before their referral to KATH.
He said processes had started to cover the entire hospital with CCTV monitoring systems and acquire needed equipment for laboratory and radiological investigations.
Dr Owusu-Danso said competency and ability to deliver positive change for improved patient care was now the yard stick being used by the KATH Board to determine the headships of the units and directorates at the hospital.
He stressed the need for leaders of the various sections, units and directorates to draw inspiration from the theme of the meeting and evaluate their performance strategies to help transform the hospital into a true centre of excellence in tertiary health care delivery.
The Chief Executive urged the staff to be mindful of continuous quality improvement, efficiency and economy, by ensuring the judicious use of consumables and other resources entrusted in their care whiles also prioritizing the essential needs of patients.
GNA
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