[ 2016-11-13 ]

Women die over lack of Midwife
More women are dying and others suffering
complications in the Mamprugu-Moagduri District of
the Northern region following the absence of a
trained midwife and a significant shortfall of
healthcare providers in the lone impoverished
clinic serving over 40 communities.

Maternal deaths and cases of stillborn babies are
reaching an unacceptably high rate as scores of
women are abandoning the facility.

Residents say at least more than 20 labor patients
have lost their lives and others rendered barren.

The clinic built in 2005 has remained in dire
straits without a midwife and with only three (3)
staff including the district health director.

It has no doctor compelling pregnant patients to
seek healthcare from distanced areas including
Sandema in the Upper East region.

There are no vehicles in the area largely due to
bad road networks and as a result labor patients
are carried on motorbikes and in bucket of
tractors to Sandema to have babies.

The shortfall of health workers has compelled the
clinic to suspend service at night therefore
patients brought to the facility after 9pm are
turned away.

Speaking to Ultimate News, a resident, Sadia Osman
said travelling on the deplorable road saps energy
of the patients who suffer unspeakable pain and
die.

According to her, she delivered her four month old
child at the Sandema clinic because there was
nobody at Yabaga clinic to aid her delivery.

Another woman Mpoa Maraim also accused nurses at
the clinic of repressive attitude towards labor
patients. She claims staff at the clinic refused
to admit patients at night a situation she says is
killing people.

Mr. Azindo also said their wives have suffered
painful death due to lack of midwife at the
facility and called for government urgent
intervention.

The District Chief Executive for the troubled area
Hon. Maxwell Mahama, declined comment accusing the
News team of breaching an unpopular protocol. He
refused to address the challenge claimimg that the
team did not make him aware before coming to the
district.

Despite the scaring rate of maternal death, the
DCE suggested government has no immediate plans to
tackle the canker.

Source - Starrfm

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