Maternal Deaths Reduce At KBTH

THE KORLE-BU Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has recorded a total of 78 maternal deaths out of 10,732 deliveries at the hospital for the year 2014.

This figure represents a drop from the previous year's record of 85 maternal deaths at the hospital.

The maternal mortal rate of the hospital however stood at 728 deaths per 100,000 live births while the hospital also documented neonatal mortality death rate of 15.9 per 100 neonatal admissions in 2014 as compared to 14.4 deaths in 2013.

These were disclosed at the hospital's 2014 performance review meeting on Monday.

The meeting, attended by the heads of department of the various departments, was to enable the hospital to take stock of its performance in the previous year and get a clear sense of what needs to be done to improve on its service delivery.

Dr Gilbert Buckle, Chief Executive Officer of KBTH, in his opening remarks said the exercise focused on the clinical activities of the hospital in the delivery of its mandate of patient care.

He said the internal review was therefore to access the performance of the various departments in their clinical care activities and see how best they could work to enhance their activities.

'Let's not watch the figures unconcerned but probe it for better understanding so together we can find lasting recommendations,' he said.

The hospital in the year under review saw an average of 9,320 new patients every month and 21,497 follow-up patients for the same period with the average out-patient department (OPD) attendance for the year being 1,013 as against 1,001 and 997 average daily attendance in the year 2013 and 2012 respectively.

There were also 48,218 admissions in 2014 with 39,508 being discharged and 3,530 deaths in the year under review.

The number of deaths recorded increased by 3.08 (109) from the number of deaths recorded in 2013 but still not up to the 2012 figure of 3,800.

The number of operations conducted also dropped from 21,992 in 2013 to 20,964 in 2014.

KBTH is, however, close to concluding work on its new three year strategic plan and implementation would commence in 2015.

'Our operations in 2015 will be guided by this new plan which seeks to concentrate all efforts in the satisfaction and well-being of our patients,' Dr Buckle said.

By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri