Health professionals who sat through the premiere of Joy News documentary 'Next to die' have described Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital's (KATH) maternal health challenges as a sore on the conscience of health delivery in the country.
To many of the doctors and nurses, they were watching the story of their lives; the untold stories of professionals trained to save lives but helplessly watch on as mothers lose it due to lack of space and logistics.
Seth Kwame Boateng's documentary highlighted maternal and child deaths as a result of lack of space and logistics at the hospital attracted many health professionals Monday.
They called for the speedy completion of an abandoned 1000 bed capacity maternal block for the hospital.
The irony of it, the solution to the challenges, 40-year-old abandoned maternal block sat next to where the documentary was premiered.
Many who gathered to watch were worried about the maternal health realities at Ashanti region's biggest hospital.
Regional Director of Health, Dr Alexis Nangbefuba told Luv News' Erastus Asare Donkor that inasmuch as the documentary is disturbing to watch, those were the facts of their situation and they are nothing new.
"I was here as a young doctor with Dr Joseph Akpaloo and we all went through this [experience]. Seeing it again today that it has remained this way up until the time that we are the people in charge [of the hospital], is an indictment on all of us.
"It is good that it is coming out now so that it will shock all of us into action," he added.
Chief Executive of KATH, Dr. Akpaloo and Medical Director Dr Adjei Bawuah admitted the situation was dire and needed immediate remedy.
"I would say it is a true reflection but there were some things which are not added because we couldn't get everything. What we are interested in is how we can get space and function very well.
"We want to function as a real teaching hospital," the CEO added.
According to Dr Bawuah, there are cases of childbirth on the floor and they get confused whom to help; the newborn baby or the mother.
"You hear the pregnant women shouting their child is on its way, you leave to attend to them. You leave this one and by the time come back another person is in crisis and help, he explained as captured in the documentary.
The documentary, part of Multimedia's new programme Special Assignment aired on all its platforms yesterday.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS