A leading telecommunication company, MTN, last Thursday cut a sod for the construction of a modern maternity ward for Ejisu Government Hospital at the cost of GH¢240,000, at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region.
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN, Mike Ikpoki, said at the sod-cutting ceremony that the project would be completed in November 2012 to serve about 75,000 people in the catchment area.
He disclosed that the project would also include the construction of residence for the staff of the ward to help them discharge their duties efficiently to save lives.
According to Mr. Ikpoki, the 2008 World Bank statistics revealed that the lifetime risk of maternal deaths in Ghana was 66 percent, with maternal mortality ratio of 350 per every 100,000 live births in the same year.
He said the causes of maternal deaths were largely preventable and entreated institutions of advocacy campaigns to step up their work to ensure behavioural change and the provision of modern infrastructure to guarantee that women and children do not die under such conditions.
Mr Ikpoki said MTN Ghana Foundation was proud to be associated with the project, stating that 'MTN's commitment to supporting government in bringing quality healthcare to Ghanaians was one of the important objectives it had set for itself'.
He believed the gesture would help reduce maternal mortality rate as the telecommunication network continued to provide interventions in the health and education sectors to help address such issues.
The MTN Ghana Foundation has also supported hospitals like the KNUST Hospital, Kpedze Health Centre, Kotokuom Health Centre, Effia Nkwanta Health Centre, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the Prince Maria Louise Children's Hospital with similar initiatives.
Mr Ikpoki stated that his company looked forward to implementing more lifesaving initiatives to better the lives of Ghanaians.
On his part, the Ashanti Regional Director of Public Health Service, Dr. Joseph Oduro, stated that in 2011, the region recorded 253 maternal deaths, with the Ejisu Juaben Municipality recording the highest figure of maternal deaths.
He therefore praised MTN for the initiative, noting that the project would save a lot of lives.
Dr. Oduro described the project as being in line with the Millennium Development Goal four and five which advocate the reduction of child mortality and maternal deaths by 2015 respectively.
He cautioned the staff of the health centre to be committed to their work and also work hard to reduce these incidences since, according to him, most cases of child mortality and maternal deaths were due to staff negligence.
Dr Oduro pledged the support of the regional office of the Ghana Health Service to the staff regarding their welfare and the discharge of their responsibilities.
Dignitaries present at the ceremony were the Corporate Service Executive Cynthia Lumor, Ejisu Omanhene Nana Afrane Okesseh IV, the medical officer in charge of the hospital, Dr. Osei Owusu, municipal director of Health, Alberta Lomotey and the Municipal Chief Executive, Yamoah Ponkoh.
From Emmanuel Ako-Gyima, Kumasi
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