Dormaa records 199 stillbirths in 2011

Dormaa-Ahenkro (B/A), Jan. 31, GNA – Out of 3,847 babies delivered in the Dormaa Municipality in 2011, 199 were stillborn. Health facilities within the Municipality also recorded nine maternal deaths as against six in 2010 while suspected Buruli ulcer cases also jumped from 26 in 2010 to 49 in 2011.

Available figures have however showed steady decline in Diabetes cases from 1,121 in 2010 to 408 in 2011 while Hypertension also dropped from 4,798 in 2010 to 2,630 in 2011. The Municipal Health Director, Madam Florence Iddrisah, who announced the figures during an annual performance review meeting at Dormaa-Ahenkro described the high stillbirth and increase in maternal deaths in the Municipality over the last year as unfortunate particularly in this period when Ghana needed to meet the requirements of the fourth and fifth Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

She said reports on the stillbirths indicated that most of them died in the womb of their mothers even before their arrival at the health facility. The Municipal Health Director blamed such stillbirths on wanton delay of expectant mothers at home, application of herbal concoctions and the failure of pregnant mothers to access ante-natal services regularly.

Madam Iddrisah reminded pregnant women and their families that ante-natal services, delivery and post-natal health care were free of charge and should therefore not elude any expectant mother. She announced that even though malaria which topped all Out-Patient Department (OPD) cases, it dropped slightly from 40,642 in 2010 to 40,455 in 2011 the same could not be said about snakebites which rose from 105 in 2010 to 131 in 2011.

The Municipal Health Director therefore reminded the largely farming population to wear protective attire while engaged in their chosen profession.

She said the year under review saw more commitment and dedication from husband and partners towards their pregnant wives as a total of 647 of them accompanied their wives to the various health facilities in the Municipality to access ante-natal services, 570 of them during labour and 166 for post-natal services.

Madam Iddrisah commended the husbands and urged others to emulate their shining example to enhance their wives' morale during pregnancy and child birth.

She gave the assurance that her outfit would collaborate with stakeholders to draw quality curative and preventive health to the people of Dormaa whom she did not hesitate to advise to refrain from acts that have the potential to endanger their health.

GNA