Category: Medical

Dr Patrick Odum Ansah, the Director of the Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC), says Navrongo, the Kassena-Nankana Municipal capital of the Upper East Region is one of the friendliest towns for research. He said residents of Navrongo had lived with Researchers from the Centre for decades and were comfortable with the excellent record of accomplishment of the NHRC in research over the years. 'Navrongo is one of the friendliest places for research, because the people have lived with the Researchers, they are sure of what they can do and they know their records,' he told the Ghana News Agency in an interview, after his opening address at a two-day annual scientific review meeting of the Centre. The meeting was on the theme, 'Exploring the synergies between health research and academia for development and excellence in tertiary education.' He said the NHRC after its successful continuous operation in Navrongo and its environs over the years, extended its services to the Bongo, Builsa North and South Distri cts, 'For now, we have done some studies in Bongo, we have gone to Builsa North, Builsa South and we are working there.' He said the initiative to extend their services to the three Districts meant that more people would be available for research, and that the more the burden of research was distributed among the entire population, the more useful it was. Dr Ansah said 'You cannot use only a few people to do research. The general principle of ethics is that, as much as possible, all those who are going to use the product should take part in the research. As we expand more, we are bringing this ethical principle to bear. 'That is, everybody will take part in the research, its risks, and the benefits. So Builsa is under our care now, in Bongo, we do some studies there,' he said. The Director said management would consider expanding its work beyond the Upper East to the North East and Savannah Regions to conduct as many studies as possible, if the Centre got funds, 'The benefits of this is that it injects so me investment into the health system. 'Healthcare becomes better and general health knowledge among the population increases. The contact with the communities alone improves the health of the people, and so if we can expand beyond our borders, it will bring better benefits to the whole population.' he added. Speaking on the theme of the meeting, Professor James Akazili, the Keynote Speaker, said in an era marked by unprecedented challenges and opportunities, the role of research centres and academia was more critical than ever. 'It is a call that transcends borders, disciplines, and institutions, echoing the collective need for knowledge, innovation, and collaboration. In our current interconnected world, challenges know no boundaries. 'Thus, whenever we grapple with climate change, global health crises, limited health funding or resource allocation, the search for effective solutions demands collaboration that extends beyond geographical and disciplinary confines,' he said. Professor Akazili said the ca ll for industry and academia was a call to unite, to pool their collective intellect and resources in pursuit of solutions that could impact the entire globe. 'Over the years, the role of academia has become more crucial than ever; we find ourselves in a world marked by technological revolutions, global knowledge production and complex challenges that demand innovative solutions. 'In this context, the academic community serves as a vanguard, equipping the next generation with the requisite tools, skills, and knowledge to navigate this dynamic terrain,' the Keynote Speaker said. Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Hypolite Yeleduor, the Garu District Health Director, Upper East Region, has lauded the Anglican Diocesan Development Organization (ADDRO) for contributing to improving healthcare delivery in the area. The faith-based organisation had, over the years, contributed to healthcare delivery in the Garu District by donating equipment and engaging with the vulnerable, particularly women and children, on the best methods to prevent diseases, he said. Mr Yeleduor made the remarks in an interview with the Ghana News Agency following a donation of medical equipment by the organization to the Health Directorate. Three ultrasound scanners, three printers, and two delivery sets were presented to improve diagnostic services, increasing precision and efficiency of cases, and improving the health statistics of the vulnerable, particularly pregnant women and children. Mr Yeleduor emphasized that but ADDRO's support, the district had only one ultrasound scanner owned by a private hospital, where pregnant women were charg ed for ultrasound services, worsening their financial burden. Under the Organisation's Health Outreach, Prevention and Education (HOPE) project, it had donated equipment including microscopes, fetal Doppler, urine strips, BP apparatus, a baby dummy, and baby suction machine to complement the efforts of the Ghana Health Service. The HOPE project, with funding support from Health Partners International of Canada, is being implemented in three sub-districts; Songo, Kugre, and Denugu of the Garu District. It aims at reducing maternal and child mortality and morbidity in underserved communities through the Integrated Community Case Management approach to enable the vulnerable to live dignified lives. Source: Ghana News Agency

Tema: The Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate (TMHD) recorded seven maternal mortality cases in 2023, showing a significant reduction over the 23 documented in 2022. Ms. Priscilla Aboagye-Mensah, a Public Health urse at the Directorate's Reproductive Health and Child Unit, disclosed this during the TMHD's 2023 annual performance review. She said that the reduction was a great achievement looking at the trend of 23 and 25 each recorded for 2022, 2021-2020, respectively, adding that, while 18 maternal deaths were seen in 2019, 31 were recorded in 2018 and 47 in 2017. She said five of the 2023 deaths were recorded at the Tema General Hospital, explaining that, out of those five, two were the hospital's cases, while the three were mothers who were transferred from other health institutions. She further said that the metropolis had recorded four maternal mortality cases at the end of November 2023, adding that the remaining three occurred in December. She said even though they could not reach their tar get of below-five maternal deaths, reducing it to a single digit was impressive and a first step to curbing the rate. The public health nurse said some of the strategies put in place that led to the decline included having staff on alert to identify possible risks that could lead to death, and that training was also done for health workers to build their capacity on the issues. She said maternal auditing was done every day, during which everything was checked, including the labour ward activities, to eliminate potential errors that could lead to more deaths, adding that, it helped to identify gaps in and outside the cases for them to come up with recommendations to prevent fatalities. Ms Aboagye-Mensah further said that Tema General Hospital, which handles most maternal complications as a referral institution, currently has about five obstetricians and gynaecologists, which has improved the specialist care for patients. She said a WhatsApp group platform has also been created with all those who matter in maternal health from the various health institutions, and this had made it easy for referral cases to be handled with speed as the institution referring could alert the hospital ahead for them to be ready to receive the patient on arrival, eliminating any delays. She said staff also received motivation to work hard to prevent death, while the directorate also collaborated with a non-governmental organisation to assist needy mothers, which encouraged them to report to the hospital early even when they do have all their delivery items. She said they also embarked on community audits and community education whenever a mother died less than 24 hours after admission, saying such audits revealed that some of the mothers were not attending antenatal and were resorting to drinking concoctions and attending prayer camps. Dr. Sally Quartey, the Director of Health Services, Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, commended the Tema General Hospital for their immense contribution and hard work towards reducing ma ternal mortality in the metropolis. She, together with Mrs. Monica Owusu Afoakwah, the Deputy Director of Nursing Services at the Directorate, on behalf of the Directorate presented a plaque to the hospital in appreciation of their commitment to lowering the number of deaths among mothers. Source: Ghana News Agency

Keta: Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpe, the Member of Parliament for Keta, has urged newly matriculated nurses of the Keta Nurses and Midwifery Training College to focus on their studies to become well-grounded professionals to serve Mother Ghana in all conditions. That would place their batch of nursing students as the best health workers in sustaining patients' lives for the nation's betterment, he said. Mr Gakpe, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency during the matriculation ceremony at the Keta NMTC in the Volta Region, encouraged the students to go the extra mile to acquire the necessary training and skills to enhance their professional capabilities. 'I was overwhelmed when I heard that the school had a hundred per cent performance last academic year and I urged the new ones to emulate the progress made,' he stated. Mr Gakpe urged the students to adopt good moral behaviours such as respect, tolerance, and patience for their benefit now and in the future. Mrs Mabel Kafui Torku, the Principal of th e College, appealed to all health workers to serve the country with commitment and dedication without resorting to greener pastures abroad. 'We know that many health workers are leaving the country for Europe and across the globe for greener pastures. l am appealing to you to desist from it,' she said. She said students would be trained religiously and morally to equip them with the requisite knowledge, skills and attitude to serve with excellence to impact others. Mrs Torku commended the teaching and non-teaching staff, parents, philanthropists, and others for their support over the years. Ms Irene Abusah, a first-year General Nursing student, who spoke to the GNA, expressed joy at the opportunity being given to her to pursue her dream. In all, 644 freshers, comprising 240 midwifery, 200 Registered General Nursing and Public Health Nursing, and four Post NAC/NAP midwifery students were matriculated for the 2023/2024 academic year. Source: Ghana News Agency

Tema: The Ghana Health Service (GHS), in collaboration with First Star Academy in Tema Community 12, has held a day's programme dubbed 'My Kitchen, My Health' to promote nutrition among children. Ms Joyce Asare Kissi, the head of the Tema General Hospital's Nutrition Unit, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that her unit partnered with the school as it feeds into the GHS' Nutrition Friendly School Initiative (NFSI). Ms Kissi said the collaborative initiative, which started in 2022, is to address the triple burden of malnutrition through the implementation of several services to improve the nutrition and health of children and adolescents. She said the aims and objectives were to empower school children to promote positive changes in practices and norms related to nutrition, build their capacity to improve their own nutrition and lifestyle changes, and also encourage them to participate in group activities needed to protect their health and that of members of their community. Madam Isabella Adigbli, the pre-school headmistress at First Star Academy, told the GNA that the programme serves as a platform for them to educate the children on the importance of eating food from all six food groups and reducing the consumption of fizzy drinks. Madam Adigli said having a balanced diet that includes essential food groups such as fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, fats, and oil is very significant to their growth and for the body's immunity. She said children should replace their sugary drinks with healthier beverages and fruits, as the intake of excess sugar would have some negative effects on their health. 'We aim to empower children with the knowledge and skills they need by preparing them with a strong foundation in nutrition to make healthy choices for themselves,' she said. She urged parents to reinforce the nutrition lessons given to the children at school by providing them with healthy snacks and food to ensure they understand the benefits of healthy eating habits. The nutrition officers gave a talk on the various food groups with displays for the children to get a clear understanding of nutrition, while food crafts such as fruit khebabs were also demonstrated and shared to them. Source: Ghana News Agency