Socioserve-Ghana to help improve maternal health in Eastern RegionSocioserve-Ghana to help improve maternal health in Eastern Region

Koforidua, Jan 23, GNA - Socioserve-Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has taken the initiative to lead the crusade of improving maternal health delivery in the Eastern Region this year.Mrs Josephine Sackey, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NGO, disclosed this at a multi-stakeholders meeting held at Koforidua to deliberate on ways to improve maternal health delivery.She said last year, her outfit identified some challenges militating against maternal health delivery in five districts in the Eastern Region under its ‘Mobilising Community Action towards Maternal Health Improvement (MOCAMI)’ Project.The districts were Asuogyaman, Kwaebibirem, Lower Manya Krobo, Kwahu West and Birim Central.Mrs Sackey said those challenges include inadequate human resource, inadequate logistics for effective healthcare delivery and ineffective monitoring of activities of health officers at the health centers.She said others were weak collaboration between Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and difficulties in getting CHPS centres accredited under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).Mr Osman Mensah, consultant for the MOCAMI Project, implored the Health Directorates to explore other sources of funding to improve logistics and facilities at the health centres.He further urged them to strengthen monitoring and supervision of health officers posted to the various communities, to ensure that they are always at post.Mr Mensah appealed to the Health Directorate to consider paring males with females in posting to CHPS centres to improve attendance rate of ‘traditional’ women.The Stakeholders, including health officers, traditional leaders, some Members of Parliament, Municipal and District Chief Executives and the media, accepted that they all had a role in improving maternal health.They pledged for the intensification of education on the acceptance of male midwives by the various communities “since the common goal is to save expectant mothers from dying.”Socioserve-Ghana, in partnership with RITE FM and with support from STAR Ghana, initiated the MOCAMI Project to empower communities to identify maternal health issues within the health service delivery chain for solution. Read Full Story