The Government has stepped up efforts to reduce maternal deaths and strengthen emergency healthcare delivery in the Northern Region as part of its commitment to improving healthcare access nationwide.
Deputy Minister for Health, Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, this week embarked on a series of community engagements and healthcare initiatives under the Maternal Mortality Action and Response Programme (MMARP), a government intervention aimed at reducing preventable maternal deaths through collaboration with health authorities, traditional leaders and local communities.
During the second day of her tour, Dr. Ayensu-Danquah visited Adibo and Gbungbaliga in the Yendi Municipality, where she inspected healthcare facilities, engaged community leaders and listened to residents’ concerns over persistent challenges affecting maternal healthcare services.
As part of the visit, she paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of the Gbungbaliga Traditional Area, Naa Bapri Gbungbal-Naa Abdallah Abudu Sulemana, before touring the Adibo Health Centre, the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound and the Yendi Municipal Hospital.
The engagements were aimed at identifying local factors contributing to maternal mortality and strengthening community participation in government interventions.
Addressing residents and traditional leaders, Dr. Ayensu-Danquah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving maternal and child healthcare, particularly for women in under-served communities.
She announced that the government’s Free Primary Health Care initiative would deploy community health workers equipped with mobile health backpacks to provide regular maternal and child healthcare services directly to households.
According to her, the initiative will improve access to essential healthcare for pregnant women and newborns, especially in remote communities where access to medical services remains a challenge.
The Deputy Minister also encouraged families to adopt healthy eating habits by making use of locally available nutritious foods, emphasizing that proper nutrition is essential for improving maternal and child health outcomes.
While commending the government’s intervention, the Paramount Chief of Gbungbaliga appealed for additional healthcare personnel, expansion of existing health facilities, staff accommodation, transportation for outreach services, reliable medicine supplies and backup power systems for the Adibo Health Centre and the Gbungbaliga CHPS compound.
Beyond maternal healthcare, Dr. Ayensu-Danquah also reaffirmed government’s commitment to strengthening emergency healthcare services during a visit to the Nurses’ and Midwives’ Training College (NMTC) in Tamale.
At the college, she welcomed the first cohort of 49 students admitted into the newly introduced Bachelor of Science in Emergency Nursing Programme, describing the initiative as a significant step towards building a highly skilled emergency healthcare workforce.
Speaking at the matriculation ceremony, she urged the students to embrace professionalism, discipline and excellence, reminding them of the critical role emergency nurses play in saving lives.
“Your clients are waiting for you at the door of every emergency room in this country,” she told the students.
Dr. Ayensu-Danquah described the programme as a major milestone under the government’s Reset Agenda and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as Mahama Cares, aimed at strengthening Ghana’s healthcare system through specialized training and improved healthcare delivery.
She encouraged the pioneer students to uphold high ethical standards, noting that emergency nursing demands technical competence, sound judgment and compassion.
Principal of the Nurses’ and Midwives’ Training College, Tamale, Dr. Abdulai Abdul-Malik, welcomed the students and urged them to pursue academic excellence while developing the practical skills and integrity required to excel in emergency nursing.
The Deputy Minister’s visit coincided with an orientation programme in Tamale for advisory board members of health training institutions. Held under the theme, “Effective Governance, Role Clarity and Collaboration between Management and Advisory Boards of Health Training Institutions,” the programme seeks to strengthen institutional leadership and improve the quality of health training across the country.
The maternal health outreach, emergency nursing training and governance reforms form part of broader government efforts to improve healthcare delivery, reduce preventable maternal deaths and build a resilient health workforce capable of meeting Ghana’s growing healthcare needs.
Source : myxyzonline/Blinda Anim Piesie
