The Akatsi South District Hospital in the Volta region recorded zero maternal and neonatal /infant deaths respectively during the 2016- 2017 health care year, despite operating under deprived infrastructural conditions.
Authorities attributed the feat to the selflessness, dedication and commitment on the part of both management and staff of the facility.
The success story is captured in the hospital's performance chart which the medical director presented during this year's Annual Performance Review ( APR ) of the Akatsi South District Health Directorate.
The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Michael Kwashie explained that the hospital set a zero percent target for the maternal and infant mortality at the beginning of the year under review and was glad his team was able to achieve its target.
Dr. Kwashie disclosed that a total of 1,255 deliveries were attended to in the facility between January and December 2017, of which all mothers went home in good health together with their newborn babies.
He indicated that management had to adopt tactical measures as it vowed to improving upon the previous year's results. "Management in order to improve upon our previous year's results set a zero maternal and infant death target for ourselves and put the needed interventions in place and am grateful to the Lord for helping us achieve that", Dr Michael Kwashie recalled.
He explained that leadership of the facility prioritized the training of its human resource, especially midwives and other clinical staff.
He pointed out that all the hospital's clinical staff and midwives went through intensive and periodic Essential Newborn Care (ENC) and Helping Newborn Babies Breathe(HNBB) training respectively during the year under review and ensured that midwives were always ready to respond to cases.
He said management then introduced a weekly clinical/ in house training audit in addition to the official monthly audit, a development which according to the medical director contributed greatly to the hospital's success stories.
According to the medical director, management also paid much attention to infection prevention and control in all areas of the hospital.
Dr. Kwashie further indicated that his team also attached greater importance to emergency cases that were brought to the facility.
He pointed out that in order to handle emergencies promptly, management ensured the needed emergency resources such as blood, oxygen, and operational consumables were readily available for use. This he said compelled management to introduce Emergency Package at vantage points within the hospital with equipments and consumables needed to attend to any emergency situation on time.
The Medical Director hinted management maintained a responsive laboratory and ambulance service throughout the year.
Dr. Kwashie disclosed with pride that the only ambulance belonging to the facility is serving the hospital very well and that it is currently the best ambulance service provider in the entire Volta region.
He was grateful to the leadership of the Adinkra Foundation for donating the ambulance to the facility. He also highly commended the District Hospital's administrator, in the person of Samuel Agbekornu and other management staff for their team spirit and cooperation.
The Medical Director poimted out that general OPD attendance for the year declined from 45,319 in 2016 to 41359 as at the end of December 2017.
He further disclosed that Pneumonia, Anaemia, HIV and Hypertension still remain the leading causes of death in the facility.
Dr. Kwashie however argued that the hospital could do better if its infrastructure challenges are improved.
He bemoaned that the current children's ward of the hospital is not the best since that was not meant for that purpose.
The Medical Director indicated that management heaved a heavy sigh of relief when the construction of a modern and befitting structure was started at the facility around 2014 which was expected to have been completed last year.
He commended the current NPP government for the commitment it showed towards the project last year.
He however regretted that the modern structure which is expected to change the hospital's fortunes is yet to be completed, though far advanced.
Dr Michael Kwashie therefore appealed to the government and the health ministry to help complete the project for the hospital.
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