From Richard Owusu-Akyaw.
The crusade against maternal mortality in the Ashanti Regional capital is far from over, as the Kumasi Metropolis recorded 85 cases of maternal mortality in six months.
Unlike last year, where the Metro Health directorate recorded 73 maternal mortalities in a mid-year report, covering January to June, the Kumasi maternal mortality figure has ballooned to 85 this year.
In a mid-year Metro health review programme at the Social Security National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Conference Hall in Adum, Kumasi last Friday, the Metropolitan Health Director, Dr. Akwasi Awudzi-Yeboah, disclosed that nine and five lives were lost in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
Dr. Awudzi said nine and four figures represent other hospitals in the metropolis. He stated that although the KATH figure of 71 had gone up, but the other figure gone down to four as compared to last year, which was nine.
He attributed the maternity surge up cases to complicated referral cases from other hospitals and other regions, including the Central Region. He disclosed to stakeholders that vaccinations are yielding results in disease control, saying ten cases sent to the lab proved positive.
Touching on the epidemic Cholera, he disclosed that the metropolis had recorded five cases, of which three were from the Greater Accra Region, but the good news was that it was not going to be spread, since they detected it early. He noted that if people experience diarrhoea, they should report it to the hospital for the right treatment.
Dr. Awudzi indicated they had very few protective clothing, but were ready to battle the devastating Ebola epidemic, and were monitoring closely to keep the disease at bay. On the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Kumasi Metro Health Director stressed the need for National Health Insurance Authority to pay arrears owed pharmaceutical companies and clients.
He said the new drug price issued by the NHIS is far less than the original price of the said drugs, and the NHIS has to top up the price in future. He stated that if the arrears owed by the NHIA are not paid, pharmaceutical firms will not be able to replenish drugs to the scheme, and failure to pay will see patients going out to buy drugs.
Dr. Awudzi was of the view that capitation is good, and recommended it for the nation. He appealed to the scheme’s authorities to increase capitation to other regions, since the amount of money charged per patient is so small in Ashanti Region.
The Metro Health Information Officer, Sarah Fodah, mentioned high maternal deaths and high still birth rates, ageing midwives, high cases of hypertension, shortage of anti retroviral drugs, and late submissions as challenges facing the Metro Health Directorate.