105 expectant mothers died in the Eastern region between January and November 2017 as maternal mortality surges in the region.
Sixty-one of the maternal deaths were recorded from January to June.
Over thirty thousand deliveries were recorded within the period.
An audit report on the maternal deaths recorded in the region during the mid-year review by the Maternal and Perinatal Mortality Audit Implementation Tracking Committee highlighted Eclampsia /Hypertensive disease in pregnancy, Hemorrhage, Amniotic fluid, unsafe abortion, and HIV/AIDS as the top five causes of the maternal deaths recorded in the region.
The audit report also indicated 89% of the maternal deaths were avoidable because 53% were health worker related, while 36% were facility/administration related which included lack of ambulance, oxygen, resuscitation equipment among others.
A distraught husband Dallas Williams recounted at an event how painful her newly wedded pregnant wife died of seizure disorders at the Regional Hospital in Koforidua after a Dilation and curettage (D&C) surgery having been transferred from Kenop Hospital in Nkawkaw. He said having paid close to GHC2000 for which he was told there was no evidence of seizure, the autopsy report confirmed otherwise, a situation he blamed on medical negligence .
A mother, Paulina, also recounted bizarre circumstances where her 30-year-old pregnant daughter who was a breadwinner died in 2016 at the Regional Hospital when she was induced to abort her 8 months-three weeks old baby discovered dead in her womb.
She claimed autopsy report was not given to the family to know the cause of death but was only told she had very high blood Pressure after she laboured the dead baby. She believe the explanation didn’t add up.
Audit report indicated that 47.3% of pregnant women who died during the year under review never attended antenatal care.
Stakeholders in the health sector have expressed concerns over the development in the region and have called on government to swiftly help change the pattern.
Source: Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/Kojo Ansah
