HEALTH PERSONNEL'S WARNED AGAINST DEMANDING MONEY FROM PREGNANT WOMEN BEFORE RENDERING HEALTH CARE SERVICES

The Upper East Regional Health Director, Dr. Winfred Ofosu, has warned health facilities and medical staff against demanding monies from pregnant women before rendering health care services.

According to Dr. Ofosu, the Regional Health Directorate has sanctioned two medical officers of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital for demanding monies from pregnant women.

Dr. Ofosu, who declined to disclose the identities of the medical officers warned that anyone caught demanding money from pregnant women would be dealt with drastically.

He said that the government was already taking care of the medical bills of pregnant women, sending a stern warning to those engaged in the illgeality to stop.

In an interview with Citi News in Bolgatanga, Dr. Ofosu said mechanisms were being put in place to check the illegality

“We know that in some healthcare facilities they collect some monies which we are stopping. Actually, we have put measures in place to sanction any staff who collects illegal monies because delivery is free in this country so pregnant women who go to facilities to deliver are not to pay any money because government is paying for it.

“Two medical staff of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital who have been demanding monies from pregnant women have been sanctioned. They have been queried and in their response, they promised to stop the practice and if they continue they may get stiffer punishment including dismissal from the service”.

Dr. Ofosu added that at no point should pregnant women or those in labour be asked to pay money whether at the laboratory, anaesthetics, maternity, scan unit among others.

He further entreated pregnant women and their relatives to call him anytime they are asked to pay monies at health facilities in the region.

Although the region made strides with 70 percent in skilled delivery, they recorded 44 maternal deaths in 2017, compared to 33 deaths in 2016.

Dr. Ofosu said there were cases of septic abortions, and that some women who developed complications did not receive care at the right time leading to the deaths.

Source: citinewsroom.com

WHO and UNICEF issue new guidance to promote breastfeeding in health facilities globally

WHO and UNICEF issued new ten-step guidance to increase support for breastfeeding in health facilities that provide maternity and newborn services at Geneva on April 11, 2018. Breastfeeding all babies for the first 2 years would save the lives of more than 820 000 children under age 5 annually.

The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding underpin the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative, which both organizations launched in 1991. The practical guidance encourages new mothers to breastfeed and informs health workers how best to support breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is vital to a child’s lifelong health, and reduces costs for health facilities, families, and governments. Breastfeeding within the first hour of birth protects newborn babies from infections and saves lives. Infants are at greater risk of death due to diarrhoea and other infections when they are only partially breastfed or not breastfed at all. Breastfeeding also improves IQ, school readiness and attendance, and is associated with higher income in adult life. It also reduces the risk of breast cancer in the mother.

"Breastfeeding saves lives. Its benefits help keep babies healthy in their first days and last will into adulthood," says UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore. "But breastfeeding requires support, encouragement and guidance. With these basic steps, implemented properly, we can significantly improve breastfeeding rates around the world and give children the best possible start in life."

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says that in many hospitals and communities around the world, whether a child can be breastfed or not can make the difference between life and death, and whether a child will develop to reach his or her full potential.

"Hospitals are not there just to cure the ill. They are there to promote life and ensure people can thrive and live their lives to their full potential," says Dr Tedros. "As part of every country’s drive to achieve universal health coverage, there is no better or more crucial place to start than by ensuring the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding are the standard for care of mothers and their babies."

The new guidance describes practical steps countries should take to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in facilities providing maternity and newborn services. They provide the immediate health system platform to help mothers initiate breastfeeding within the first hour and breastfeed exclusively for six months.

It describes how hospitals should have a written breastfeeding policy in place, staff competencies, and antenatal and post-birth care, including breastfeeding support for mothers. It also recommends limited use of breastmilk substitutes, rooming-in, responsive feeding, educating parents on the use of bottles and pacifiers, and support when mothers and babies are discharged from hospital.

Note:
Early initiation of breastfeeding, within one hour of birth, protects the newborn from acquiring infections and reduces newborn mortality. Starting breastfeeding early increases the chances of a successful continuation of breastfeeding. Exclusive breastfeeding for six months has many benefits for the infant and mother. Chief among these is protection against gastrointestinal infections and malnutrition, which are observed not only in developing but also industrialized countries.

Breast-milk is also an important source of energy and nutrients in children aged 6–23 months. It can provide half or more of a child’s energy needs between 6-12 months, and one-third of energy needs between 12-24 months. Breast-milk is also a critical source of energy and nutrients during illness, and reduces mortality among children who are malnourished.

Children and adolescents who were breastfed as babies are less likely to be overweight or obese.

A nine-week baby dies as doctor cuts oxygen supply over nonpayment of bills

A nine-week-old baby boy has died at the St Gregory Hospital at Kasoa in the Central Region because his parents could not afford the cost of aiding his breathing with an oxygen machine.

Little Prosper's parents tell Joy News a medical doctor on duty pulled the plug from the oxygen machine because they could not pay GHS533 to keep their son alive.

Hospital authorities are tight-lipped on the issue explaining they are investigating the circumstances that led to the death of the baby. 

Prosper was born on January 19, 2018, fell sick and was taken to the hospital on March 5 and died three weeks later.

The baby's mother, Sefakor, told Joy News Joojo Cobbinah, that a few weeks after the baby was born she realised he not breathing well.

According to Sefakor, after preliminary tests, the St Gregory Hospital admitted them with the intention of transferring the case to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital subsequently.

The baby was given blood and kept on the oxygen machine because he could not breathe well.

However, when it became clear the family could not pay for the cost of treatment before the intended transfer to Korle Bu, the doctor decided to take a drastic decision.

"That Saturday, the Doctor came, he ask me that I hear from my husband [about the bills] I say I didn't hear. Then he removed the oxygen...it is too late," Sefakor managed in the little English she could speak.

The baby's father, Kennedy Kwao, said he chose the name 'Prosper' because he was hopeful that the boy will grow up to become a prosperous man.

That hope, however, has been curtailed.

Source: myjoyonline.com

TWO HEALTH PRACTISIONORS ARRESTED OVER DEATHS FROM INJECTION

Two health personnel have been detained by the Senchi-Adome Police and are being interrogated over the deaths of three patients at the New Senchi Health Centre in the Asuogyaman District.

The District Director of Health, Abdul Aziz Abdulai, confirmed to Citi News that the two; James Yeboah and Simon Takeramah were believed to have administered the injections and are now assisting the police and the regional medical team to unravel the circumstances that led to the deaths.

“The persons who are said to have given those injections have been handed over to the police. We looked at the criminal aspect of it for which then I needed to make a formal complaint to the police… statements were taken from them and they have been detained for further investigations,” he said.

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has said its preliminary investigations indicated that deaths, which occurred after the administering of some injections, may have been caused by contaminated medication.

The deceased persons suffered adverse reactions described as injection site abscess, skin necrosis and ulcers leading to the deaths, the FDA said.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that these reactions may be due to contaminated 0.9% Normal Saline, the solution which was used to reconstitute (mix) the Benzathine Penicillin Powder for Injection. The 0.9% Normal Saline Solution was reported to have been opened and used repeatedly for several days which might have resulted in the contamination,” a statement from the FDA explained.

Since then, the District Health Directorate has ordered the centre to “stop all injections at that facility until further notice and the place is being prepared for fumigation and other things,” according to Mr. Abdulai.

He also said, “samples have been collected from the ulcers of the [deceased] patients for investigation at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical research.”

Source: citifmonline.com

Donors pledge over US$ 15 million to WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies

GENEVA - Donors have pledged an additional US$15.3 million to support quick action by the World Health Organization to tackle disease outbreaks and humanitarian health crises through its emergency response fund in 2018, the Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE).

Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland announced contributions ranging from US$20,000 to US$5.6 million at a conference hosted at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday (March 26) – increasing CFE funding levels to US$23 million.

This will enable the rapid financing of health response operations in the coming months – filling that critical gap between the moment the need for an emergency response is identified and the point at which funds from other sources can be released. WHO will seek to secure further donor commitments to achieve its US$100 million funding target for the 2018/2019 biennium.

First-time pledges were made by Denmark, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malta and Norway. The UK has increased its overall commitment to the fund from US$10.5 million to US$16 million, making it the second largest donor after Germany.

“For the UK, the CFE is an extraordinarily good investment. We are convinced it has a vital and unique role to play in the global effort to prevent and mitigate health emergencies. Today we pledge an additional £4 million (US$5.6 million) for the Contingency Fund and pledge to work with WHO to better profile to a wider audience the huge value it brings. The G7 and the G20 share the UK’s desire for an adequately funded CFE. We urge our fellow Member States and donors to heed WHO’s call and to step forward to provide financial support for the Contingency Fund for Emergencies,” said Alistair Burt, UK Minister of State for International Development.

The CFE’s ability to release funds within 24 hours sets it apart from complementary financing mechanisms that have different funding criteria and slower disbursement cycles. While other funding mechanisms allow for the scale up of response operations, none are designed to deliver an immediate and early response. The CFE has demonstrated that a small investment can save lives and dramatically reduce the direct costs of controlling outbreaks and responding to emergencies.

“Without the CFE, recent outbreaks of Ebola in DRC, Marburg virus Disease in Uganda and pneumonic plague in Madagascar could have gotten out of control. By acting decisively and quickly, we can stop disease outbreaks and save thousands of lives for a fraction of the cost of a late response. The CFE has proven its value as a global public good that should be underwritten by long term investment,” said Dr Peter Salama, WHO Deputy Director General for Emergency Preparedness and Response.

Since 2015, the CFE has enabled WHO, national authorities and health partners to get quick starts on more than 50 disease outbreaks, humanitarian crises and natural disasters, allocating more than US$46 million. It has supported the rapid deployment of experts; better disease detection and reporting; the delivery of essential medicines, supplies and personal protective equipment; the strengthening of surveillance and vaccination; improved access to water, sanitation and health services; community engagement; and more.

Madagascar’s health minister Dr Lalatiana Andriamanarivo called for increased support for the CFE, saying it was instrumental to containing an unprecedented outbreak of pneumonic plague that rapidly spread across the island nation in 2017.

“We call on our international partners to support the Contingency Fund for Emergencies to enable WHO to respond to outbreaks everywhere across the world, and to reinforce national capacities to manage health emergencies in the future,” said Dr Andriamanarivo.

In 2017, the CFE provided nearly US$21 million for operations in 23 countries, with most allocations released within 24 hours. Over half (56%) of allocations funded responses in the WHO Africa region, with 28% going to responses in countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region and 11% to the South East Asia Region.

Source: who.int

Government to recruit 27, 000 nurses

Government has, this year, budgeted to recruit 32,000 health personnel, 27,000 of whom will consist of various categories of nurses, the Minister for Information, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has stated.

Mr Abdul-Hamid, who was addressing a news conference in Accra, yesterday, in response to the concerns of unemployed nurses over their posting issues, gave the assurance that the 2018 budget had made provision to cater for their recruitment.

Since 2017, the Minister indicated, government had employed 16,000 nurses who had completed between 2012 and 2015. “It is important to state that, when we came into office in 2017, there was a backlog of graduates from 2012 to 2015 to be absorbed,” he explained.

Nurses, numbering over 200 hundred, have, since Monday, been picketing at the premises of the Health Ministry demanding immediate employment in the various health facilities in the country.
 
The Information Minister urged the nurses to end their picketing and go back home as the Ministry of Health works to secure their posting clearance from the Finance Ministry.

Source: ghana.gov.gh

EASTERN REGION RECORDED 108 MATERNAL DEATHS IN 2017

In spite of the several strategies, put in place to prevent maternal mortality in the Eastern Region, the region still recorded 108 maternal deaths in 2017 as against 102 and 104 in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

This means that approximately nine women and girls die from pregnancy related causes and childbirth in the region every month.

The issue of pregnant related deaths have been of concern to health professionals in the region for some time.

During the half year review of the year 2017, it was the major topic for discussion as it was revealed that some of such deaths could have been prevented by health facilities and patients alike.

Dr Charity Sarpong, Regional Director of Health Services, who disclosed this at the Regional Annual Performance Review meeting in Koforidua, said it was unfortunate that “our efforts to prevent maternal mortality in the region have not achieved the desired results”.

She said in order to reduce pregnancy related deaths, her outfit instituted interventions such as the PICCAM strategy, zoning the region into five, with each zone being assigned an obstetrician/Gynaecologist specialist to increase access to quality health care.

Dr Sarpong who described the situation as unfortunate, said in furtherance of their resolve to reduce maternal deaths, staff capacities were built on safe motherhood protocols and a maternal and neonatal audit implementation and tracking committee instituted.

According to the Regional Director, most of the deaths were avoidable, citing religion, cultural practices, bad roads that delayed referrals and lack of ambulances as some of the challenges, and indicated that strengthening of the sub district health teams would be key to their strategies.

She said despite the unfortunate maternal deaths, the region however performed well generally, in especially in the area of Community Health Planning Services (CHPS) centres.

The Meeting was attended by medical doctors, medical directors, nurses, midwives and other health staffs from across the region to take stock of the 2017 performance.

It was on the theme: “Improving Maternal Healthcare Delivery in the Region -The Critical Role of Health Professionals.”

Source: GNA