THE Chief Executive of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, (KATH) Professor Ohene Agyei has appeal to to the government, philanthropists, industries, and the general public to support the hospital to complete its Maternal and Child Health Blocks which has been under construction over the past 36 years.
Making the appeal in an interview with Daily Graphic, he said the continuous delay of work on the project, has resulted in severe congestion, at the Child Health and Maternity wings of the KATH due to inadequate space and facilities.
Expressing concern about the state of the hospital, Mr Agyei said, the Mother Baby Unit (MBU) of the KATH could be described as the most life threatening ward, as a result of the congestion at the unit and pointed out that the maternal and child mortality ratio at the hospital “ is still unacceptably high and continues to increase”.
He said, for instance, the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) unit has only 160 beds but admitted as much as 20,000 patients last year, which is more than 1,500 patients a month, adding that, “the percentage bed occupancy for the Directorate of Child Health in 2009 was 155.30 per cent, whilst that of the Directorate of Obstetrics and Gynaecology was 129.37 per cent”.
He said, sometimes two pregnant women share the same bed at the obstetrics and gynaecology unit, whilst some of them sleep on the floor, and pointed out that, the situation makes it difficult for clinicians to provide the best care to the expectant women.
Work on the construction of the block started in 1974 during the Supreme Military Council (SMC) regime, but the project is now about 65 per cent complete.
He pointed out that due to the congestion at the Mother and Baby Unit, newly-born babies, were crowded in babies’ cots, which he described as unhealthy, and totally against international practice and standards.
Referring to the nature of the MBU when it was established, Professor Adjei said in 1998, when the MBU started providing medical services to the people, between 40 and 60 babies were admitted at a time, making it possible for them to be provided with the needed care, attention and security from cross infections.
“Also, at that time, there were 73 baby cots at the MBU, so there were adequate space and spare cots that provided the needed comfort for the babies , putting them on course for full recovery from the various diseases afflicting them at birth” He noted.
He said “today, the MBU admits as many as 120 babies at a time, and not less than three babies are crammed together in the same cot”.
According to him, the result is that, a radiant heater, supposed to cater for one or two babies in a cot, now caters for about four babies , “and with this trend, babies on admission are likely to infect each other, especially if they had any contagious disease”.
According to the KATH 2009 annual medical report , the MBU “ received referrals from almost all corners of Ghana, and occasionally even beyond our borders”
The report also indicated that “as there is nowhere else to refer such sick babies, we cannot refuse to admit such babies”.
The report further indicated that, with the present condition, where babies are jammed in a cot, “ there are times when mothers sit on the benches outside with their babies on their laps, waiting for a place, so that their babies could be attended to”.
The report also made it clear that “population growth, health insurance and increasing awareness about new-born diseases, have all contributed to the ever increasing numbers of babies filling up spaces at the MBU”,.
According to the annual report, authorities relocated the MBU in 2009 to give way for the place to be fumigated to enhance quality health care delivery, hoping that stakeholders would support the early completion of the Maternity and Child Health Blocks, which is a multi-storey structure with a five-storey paediatric wing.
The Obstetrics and Gynaecology wing is a six-storey while the theatre wing is housed in a six-storey block. The blocks have a-750 bed capacity and securing the needed funds for its early completion would go a long way to improve the capacity of the problem of congestion that undermines quality health care delivery.
When the sod cutting ceremony started 36 years ago, the indication was that it would be completed on schedule to complement facilities at the old block .
According to the management of the hospital, the issue of increased maternal mortality rates could be effectively addressed, if facilities at KATH in general and the Maternal and Child Health units are improved to enable the hospital, which serves as a referral centre.
Since KATH is located at the heart of the country, emergency cases from seven out of the 10 regions are regularly referred there, thus creating massive congestion.
The health authorities advised patients who are referred to the hospital, not to delay in getting to the hospital, adding that, for example, out of a total of 114 maternal deaths recorded in 2009, 68, representing 59.65 per cent died less than 48 hours after their arrival at the KATH.
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