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A total of 150 out of 500 pregnant women who visit the Koforidua Regional Hospital monthly to give birth undergo Caesarean Section, Doris Mantey, a Senior Nursing Officer at the Antenatal Unit of the hospital has disclosed.

According to her, even though the trend is worrying, the Caesarean Section had become necessary to save the pregnant women from life threatening complications during labour.

Some 165 pregnant women and 220 babies died in the region during labour in 2014. The figure is high compared to other regions.

“In a month, the ward records between 350 and 500 pregnant women and out of these, 120 to 150 undergo Caesarean Section.

“The surgery is not fearsome as perceived by many pregnant women, so the media must help clear that erroneous impression. But, our problem is that most times the pregnant women reject Caesarean Section because their pastors had asked them not to allow surgery, but rather pray.”

The senior nurse attributed the cause of the increase in Caesarean Section to a number of health related issues such as Preeclampsia, a condition that is related to High Blood Pressure. She also said 'Fibroid in the mouth of the cervix can be an obstruction to normal delivery.”

She added that “Pregnant women with diabetes or those who have developed gestational diabetes give birth to large babies and in some cases the head of the fetus might get stuck in the birth canal during a vaginal birth.”

Explaining further in an interview with Koforidua Based Bryt Fm, she advised that women, in particular, pregnant women, must prioritise their health by living a healthy lifestyle.

At a recently held maiden conference on Maternal and Neonatal Mortality in Koforidua, the Deputy Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Gloria Amponsah stated that despite the success achieved through the various interventions put in place by government, the country could not meet the target set under the millennium development goals.

Dr Amponsah said, currently the maternal mortality rate in the country is around 319 deaths per 100,000 live births which is far from the 2010 target of the country which is around 70 deaths per 100,000 live births. 

The Eastern regional director of GHS, Dr (Mrs) Charity Sarpong, also said maternal mortality in the region had reduced from 192 per 100,000 live births in 2010 to 165 deaths for 100,000 live births in 2014 which is more than half of the national average. She added that neonatal deaths had reduced from 408 in 2013 to 220 in 2014.

To reduce the rate further, the regional health directorate has initiated a project dubbed "Making Every Baby Count,” aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality rate in the region by integrating the contributions of stakeholders including political heads, the regional coordinating council, traditional leaders, civil society groups and health care providers.