Multimedia Group’s campaign to end maternal and child deaths at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has moved some firms and individuals into action.
Chief Executive Officer of KATH, Joseph Akpaloo, has revealed following a Joy News documentary that detailed the dire situation at the maternity section of the hospital, offers to help have been forthcoming.
“I can assure you that individuals and organisations are calling and asking how they can help and with this; we are going to sit down with the [health] minister [and discuss way forward]”, he said.
A documentary by Joy News’ Seth Kwame Boateng, titled ‘Next to Die’ was premiered in Kumasi early this week and has since incited calls by individuals and health professionals for the speedy completion of an abandoned 1,000-bed maternity block at the hospital.
Seth revealed in the documentary that at least four babies die at KATH every day. On a bad day as many as seven babies die.
There are only eight beds at the maternity unit of the second largest referral hospital in the country, which takes referrals from up to eight out of Ghana’s ten regions.
There are only two surgical theatres and close to 100 mothers die every year, often while waiting to be attended to. This has gone on for at least ten years, culminating into what can be described as dire case of overcrowding at a health facility.
On the first day of the campaign on Tuesday, March 14, 2017, a victim of the challenges at KATH, Mr. Owusu Ansah, narrated his ordeal on Joy FM's Super Morning Show that was aired live from the hospital.
Mr Ansah recounted the heart-wrenching circumstances under which he lost two babies in a row at the hospital.
Mr Owusu Ansah
Amidst tears, intermittent sobbing and eventual loud burst into uncontrollable crying, he painted the picture of slaughterhouse rather than a hospital of KATH.
Another show on Wednesday intensified the campaign even further.
Speaking on the measures that hospital considered to end the situation at the hospital, Joseph Akpaloo also revealed that the hospital has reviewed its operations to ensure that the alarming spate of maternal and baby deaths are reduced.
“We are prepared to reduce the [maternal] and child mortality,” he told Nhyira FM’s Ohemeng Tawiah.
He said the reduction in the needless deaths will be achieved by intensifying a programme that allows specialists to improve their capacity by sending them to district hospitals in other regions and even outside the borders of Ghana.
Providing further details about how the hospital hopes to solve the problem, Dr Akpaloo said there are plans to fund the completion of the abandoned maternity block with internally generated funds.
“The government is convinced that it will do it. But we want to hasten or fasten it so that at least [the project cost] can be reduced and the government will be happy,” he said.
Meanwhile, First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has also promised to look into the deaths at the hospital.
She told Joy News that she was touched after watching snippets of the documentary on television.
"I definitely will look into it and see what I can do. I am a woman like these women who go through this, and I don't think in this day and age this thing should be happening," she said.
The First Lady and the wife of the Vice President, Samira Bawumia on Thursday received copies of the documentary from a delegation from the Multimedia Group Limited led by the Managing Director of MultiTV, Santokh Singh.
Latest Stories
-
35th CIMG Awards: Full list of winners
1 hour -
The Multimedia Group wins big at CIMG Awards 2023
2 hours -
Bernard Mornah wins PNC flagbearship race
3 hours -
Video: Confusion at PNC National Executives election
3 hours -
Rapper E.L. joins King Promise as Guinness Accravaganza headliner for September 21 showdown
4 hours -
PNC Congress: Bernard Mornah leads in Greater Accra Region
5 hours -
Reject violence, divisive rhetoric, embrace peace ahead of elections – Bawumia appeals to Ghanaians
5 hours -
SEFF’s debut single ‘Father’ sets stage for bold new talent
6 hours -
Super typhoon Yagi kills four in Vietnam
6 hours -
Hollard Insurance-UENR Mentoring Day: Students urged to let hard work, integrity shine to advance career
6 hours -
2024/25 GPL: Vision FC opens campaign with draw against Berekum Chelsea
6 hours -
If Baba Yara pitch was good, Mumin clears the ball – Laryea Kingston
7 hours -
GPL 2024/25: Samartex begin title defence with draw against Dreams FC
7 hours -
Financing road construction and maintenance through a special fuel levy: A sustainable solution for Ghana’s road infrastructure
8 hours -
Ghana Celebrity Impact Awards 2024 launched to honor positive social influence
8 hours