Adopt squatting position for delivery - Quashigah

Tamale, Sept 1, GNA - Major Courage E.K. Quashigah (Rtd), Minister of Health on Wednesday asked midwives to adopt the indigenous squatting position for delivery by pregnant women. He said it was more flexible and easy for women to squat and push out a baby than to lie down.

Major Quashigah made the call during a familiarisation tour of the Tamale Central Hospital after launching the Third African Traditional Medicine Day and the sixth Ghana Traditional Medicine Week celebration in Tamale.

He stressed the need for midwives to acquire skills on the squatting position system of delivery to enable them handle their clients efficiently and ensure safe deliveries in the hospitals. Hajia Balchisu Dason, Deputy Nursing Officer in charge of the hospital said the hospital recorded 30 deliveries, 450 nursing mothers and 500 children attend antenatal and child welfare services in a month.

She said malaria was the number one disease recording 70 per cent at the Out-Patient Department, diarrhoea, upper respiratory infections and skin diseases were common especially with children in the Tamale Metropolis.

Hajia Dason said over-crowding, staffing and lack of vehicle were some of the problems facing the hospital. At the Tamale West Hospital, Major Quashigah who visited the Out-Patient Department appealed to the people to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme to have access to better health care delivery. 01 Sept.05