Ashanti records high stillborn cases

Statistic from Ejisu-Juaben Health Directorate in the Ashanti region indicate an upsurge in stillborn cases in the Municipality in 2008. 

 Ellen Fosu; Acting Municipal Health Director, told an annual Health Review Meeting at Ejisu at the weekend. 

  She said the Juaben Government Hospital alone recorded 50 stillbirth cases last year as against 29 in 2007, an increase of 47 percent with each Sub-Municipality recording at least two cases during the year under review.

Mrs. Ellen Fosu said the proportionality of new cases in 2007 and 2008 stood at 1:5.7 in the Hospital and 1:3.7 in the remaining health institutions in the Sub-Municipality, adding that it was not the best for reproductive health care in the area.

The Acting Municipal Health Director attributed the situation to low attendance of pregnant women to pre-natal clinics; failure to follow pre-natal health instructions and lack of vehicles to transport women in labour to health facilities.

She said the Directorate would intensify health education in the area this year to reduce the trend.

 Mrs. Fosu also hinted that attendance at the Outpatient Department at various health facilities in the Municipality rose from 103,871 to 153,548 in 2007 and 2008, respectively. She said the increase was due to the fact that more people joined the National Health Insurance Scheme in the area.

The Municipal Health Director mentioned that malaria topped the OPD cases last year with 65,025 cases as against 37,559 in 2007.

Mrs. Ellen Fosu commended her staff for working hard to reduce bilharzia  cases from 717 in 2007 to 490 in 2008 and leprosy from two in 2007 to 0 in 2008,  but urged them to intensify public education on Tuberculosis this year because TB cases went up from 55 in 2007 to 77 in 2008.

She said they were able to treat 32,460 Oncho cases last year out of 35,694 cases detected in the area representing 89.4 per cent.

Mrs. Fosu commended the authorities of the Juaben Government Hospital for using their own resources to train 50 of the Municipal health staff.

She said that they were able to train 109 home management volunteers and purchased logistics for a new maternity home.

Mr. Yaw Ahenkorah Afrifa, Ejisu Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, commended the health workers in the area for their dedication, commitment and selfless service to the people and urged them to continue to strive hard to focus in the execution of their duties.

He expressed his outfit's commitment to the health needs of the people in the municipality as well as better living conditions for health professionals in order to encourage them to give their best to their clients.

The MCE called on organizations to as a mater of urgency to commit adequate funds towards Reproductive Health as an effort to help reduce maternal deaths, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and improve the health status of the citizenry particularly women and children.